Dr Filippa Lentzos
Senior Research Fellow 
Contact: filippa.lentzos@kcl.ac.uk
Research Interests: Governance & regulation of emerging science and technology; risk; policymaking; regulatory implementation & impact; biosecurity; bioterrorism & biological weapons; biological disarmament; biosafety; biodefence; synthetic biology; biotech industry; biological research; genetics & society.
Background: Dr Lentzos is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Social Science, Health and Medicine. Her primary research interests are focused on biosecurity and synthetic biology, and the range of social, ethical, political, legal, economic, and geographical issues associated with these two key emerging research themes in the field of biomedicine and society. She is especially interested in the social shaping of risks and threats, and in the social organisation and deployment of evidence, facts and knowledge, and has published widely on this. Her current research on the politics of bioterrorism is funded by an ESRC Mid-Career Fellowship. In addition to her research, Dr Lentzos is actively involved in the Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation (CSynBI), a joint partnership between LSE and Imperial established by the EPSRC to spearhead UK research in synthetic biology.
Dr Lentzos also regularly carries out policy work in the areas of biosecurity and synthetic biology. From 2006-2008, she was Managing Editor of BioSocieties, an interdisciplinary journal for social studies of life sciences, and she continues her involvement in the journal as an Associate Editor.
Dr Lentzos was originally trained in human sciences before switching to sociology, obtaining her PhD from the Institute for the Study of Genetics, Biorisks and Society at the University of Nottingham. Prior to her current post, she spent ten years at the London School of Economics, completing a one-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Centre for Analysis of Risk and Regulation, before joining the newly established BIOS Centre in 2003. Dr Lentzos moved with the BIOS research group to King’s in January 2012 to become the research arm of the new Department of Social Science, Health and Medicine.
Select Articles:
Lentzos, F (forthcoming) “Synthetic biology, security and governance” BioSocieties, Vol.7(4).
Lentzos, Filippa (2011) “Hard to prove: The verification quandry of the BWC” Non-Proliferation Review Vol.18(3): 571-82.
Lentzos, Filippa (2011) ‘Strengthening the BWC confidence-building measures: Toward a cycle of engagement,’ Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Vol.67(3):26-33.
Lentzos, Filippa (2009) “Synthetic biology in the social context: The UK debate to date” BioSocieties Vol.4(3-4).
Lentzos, Filippa and Nikolas Rose (2009) “Governing insecurity: Contingency planning, protection, resilience” Economy & Society Vol.38(2): 230-54.
Lentzos, Filippa (2009) “Reaching a tipping point: Strengthening the BWC’s confidence-building measures” Disarmament Diplomacy Vol.89: 52-57.
Lentzos, Filippa, Gaymon Bennett, Jef Boeke, Drew Endy and Paul Rabinow (2008) “Visions and challenges in redesigning life” BioSocieties Vol.3(3): 311-23.
Lentzos, Filippa (2008) “Countering misuse of life sciences through regulatory multiplicity” Science and Public Policy Vol.35(1): 55–64.
Lentzos, Filippa (2007) “The American biodefence industry: From emergency to nonemergence” Politics and the Life Sciences Vol.26(1): 15–23.
Lentzos, Filippa (2007) “Representation from the trenches: Ongoing monitoring for implementing the BWC” Disarmament Diplomacy Vol.85(Summer): 54–59.
Lentzos, Filippa (2006 and 2007) “Regulating biorisks: Developing a coherent policy logic” Biosecurity and Bioterrorism Part I Vol.4(2): 160–167 and Part II Vol.5(1): 55–61.
Lentzos, Filippa (2006) “Rationality, risk and response: A research agenda for biosecurity” BioSocieties Vol.1(4): 453–464.
Lentzos, Filippa (2006) “Managing biorisks: Considering codes of conduct” Nonproliferation Review Vol.13(2): 211–226.
Lentzos, Filippa (2005) “The impact of regulations on firms: A study of the biotech industry” Law & Policy Vol.27(3): 429–449.
Select Chapters:
Rappert, Brian and Filippa Lentzos (forthcoming) ‘Biosecurity and bio-terror: Reflections on a decade’ in Kezia Barker, Andrew Dobson and Sarah Taylor (Eds.) Biosecurity: The socio-politics of invasive species and infectious diseases, Earthscan.
Lentzos, F, Cockerton, C, Finlay, S, Hamilton, A, Zhang, J and Rose, N (2012) ‘The societal Impact of synthetic biology’ in Paul S. Freemont and Richard I. Kitney (Eds.) Synthetic Biology: A Primer, London: Imperial College Press.
Lentzos, Filippa and Pamela Silver (2012) “Synthesis of viral genomes” in Jonathan Tucker (Ed.) Innovation, Dual Use, and Security: Managing the risks of emerging biological and chemical technologies, MIT Press.
Lentzos, Filippa (2009) “The pre-history of biosecurity: Strategies for managing risks to collective health” in Brian Rappert and Chandre Gould (Eds.) Biosecurity: Its Origins, Transformations, and Practice, Palgrave.
Lentzos, F and Nikolas Rose (2008) “Die unsicherheit regieren. Biologische bedrohungen, notfallplanung, schutz und resilienz in Europa” in Purtschert, P, Meyer, K and Winter, Y (Eds.) Gouvernementalität und Sicherheit. Zeitdiagnostische Beiträge im Anschluss an Foucault, Transcript Verlag.