A Conversation with Raymond Zilinskas

Issues

Ray Zilinskas
Raymond A. Zilinskas is director of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program at the Institute’s James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, and a research professor with the Institute’s Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies program. (Credit: Elena Zhukova )

Q. You have spent much of your ca­reer researching and analyzing some of world’s most nefarious chemical and bio­logical weapons programs. What sparked your interest in this subject?

A. I had been working as a clinical mi­crobiologist since earning my master’s degree in organic chemistry from the University of Stockholm and felt that my career had flattened out. At the time there was a lot of controversy surrounding DNA manipulation, and I was interested in the area where microbiological science meets policy and ethics. My dissertation explored issues generated by recombinant DNA research, including the applicability of genetic engineering techniques to bio­logical weapons development.

For More Information

Eva Gudbergsdottir
evag@middlebury.edu
831-647-6606