Simo Nikkari

Background

About Simo Nikkari

Dr Nikkari is an MD certified in Clinical Microbiology, Medical Administration and as a seamen’s physician. He is Director of the R&D Dept and Professor at the Centre for Military Medicine, Logistics Command Finland, since 2010, and has lead /co-lead the Finnish Centre for Biothreat Preparedness (BUOS) since its establishment in 2005. Simo is a consultant for Mehiläinen on the covid-19 pandemic team and a member of the Nuclear Threat Initiative Global Health Security Index expert panel. Simo became Doctor of Medical Sciences (PhD) in 1994 from University of Turku, Finland and permanent faculty (Docent) since 1997. At the Dept of Medical Microbiology he established its first diagnostic PCR laboratory in the early 1990s as part of his PhD work on infectious etiology of chronic inflammatory diseases. He was invited as Postdoctoral Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor at Stanford University, CA, USA 1998 – 2001 in the Depts of Microbiology and Immunology as well as Div of Infectious Diseases, respectively. At Stanford he worked on the CDC sponsored Unexplained Critical Illness Project and further developed assays for broad range detection of bacteria that are impossible to characterize using classical methodologies. Simo was head-hunted as the first CEO/CSO of Mobidiag Ltd in 2001 and he established a DNA diagnostic laboratory and R&D program, as well as recruited staff for this biotechnology company. He swiftly established revenue from environmental and molecular diagnostic services and the first MoBiChip prototype. He administered seed financing followed by bridge financing 2003. Dr Nikkari is the author of over 100 original, peer-reviewed scientific publications and holds four patents. Nikkari has led dozens of commercial, scientific and other projects. He is a nationally and internationally acclaimed expert lecturer and chair in Biothreat Preparedness and Global Health Security. Nikkari has participated in the BWC and other global mechanisms for CBRNe threat reduction (GP, UNSGM) since 2003. He led three of the six Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) assessments (Uganda, UK, Ukarine) in 2015 and as team lead the first WHO Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of Tanzania in 2/2016 followed by USA in 5/2016. Thereafter, as a key developer of the process he has trained other WHO JEE team leads. He hosted the JEE of Finland as a member of the team of POCs in 2017. He is PI of a FI MoFA sponsored biodetection capacity building project with TVLA to strengthen health and biosecurity in Tanzania (2014-24). Opinions presented in his postings are his own.