Dark Winter: An Insider’s Guide to Pandemics and Biosecurity

A SWEEPING JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF PANDEMICS AND BIOSECURITY.

In Dark Winter, world-leading epidemiologist and biosecurity expert Raina MacIntyre provides insights into historical biological attacks, lab accidents and epidemics, and the COVID-19 pandemic. She reveals a recurrent theme of denial, silence and cover-up around unnatural epidemics and the powerful vested interests at play. Using the lens of history, MacIntyre also provides a glimpse into new frontiers of biosecurity. Dark Winter outlines quantum advances in genetic engineering and synthetic biology, and a future where human genome editing and resurrection of extinct viruses might be the norm. MacIntyre argues that the solution to the existential threat we face from biotechnology will not come from scientists, but from the community having a voice in the future of the planet and humanity.

’Here is what we all need- clear evidence about COVID-19, its origins, treatment, and consequences. Professor MacIntyre’s conclusions are often shocking, but her only bias is in favour of the empirical truth.’ - Alison Broinowski

Raina MacIntyre is NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Global Biosecurity at UNSW. She heads the Biosecurity Program at the Kirby Institute, which conducts research in epidemiology, vaccinology, bioterrorism prevention, mathematical modelling, genetic epidemiology, public health and clinical trials in infectious diseases.