Una Jakob

Dr. Una Jakob is a Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) and Head of the Research Group Biological and Chemical Disarmament and Security since 2023. She also serves as Co-Head of the Research Group Control of Biological and Chemical Weapons within the Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research (CNTR) and leads the 'Compliance and Enforcement' project in the CBWNet research initiative. Her work focuses on biological and chemical weapons nonproliferation, disarmament, and biosecurity issues within the framework of international security.

Dr. Jakob earned her Dr. phil at Goethe University Frankfurt in 2018 and has been a Research Associate at PRIF since 2002. Her educational background includes a State Exam for teaching in secondary schools from Goethe University Frankfurt in Political Science and English (2002), with earlier studies in the same fields at the same institution (1998-1999), including an Erasmus exchange at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Her research spans multiple critical areas of international security, with particular emphasis on the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). She examines verification mechanisms, compliance enforcement, and the political dynamics surrounding biological and chemical weapons disarmament. Her work increasingly addresses the intersection of biosecurity, dual-use research ethics, and international norm enforcement, especially in light of recent events like the Syrian chemical weapons crisis and Russian biological weapons allegations related to Ukraine. She analyzes how international institutions respond to violations and how verification mechanisms can be strengthened.

Dr. Jakob's recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward practical policy recommendations for strengthening international verification mechanisms, particularly regarding biological weapons investigations. Her work connects technical scientific considerations with political and diplomatic frameworks, emphasizing the need for robust compliance mechanisms. She has increasingly focused on the challenges of dual-use research governance and the ethical frameworks needed to manage security risks while preserving scientific freedom.

• Member of the Joint Committee on the Handling of Security-Relevant Research of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• Co-Convenor of the Working Group 'Disarmament and Nonproliferation of Biological and Chemical Weapons'
• Mentor at the Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Mentorship Programme (2023-24)
• Member of the Biosecurity Strategy Group of CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)
• Deputy Equal Opportunities Officer at PRIF

Dr. Jakob actively engages with policy communities through numerous presentations, moderations, and advisory roles. She regularly participates in UN-related events, provides expert testimony to government bodies, and contributes to international training programs on disarmament. Her work bridges academic research and practical policy implementation, particularly in the areas of verification mechanisms and compliance enforcement for biological and chemical weapons conventions.