# W. Ian Lipkin

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As mentioned, i first authored a [Wikipedia post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Before_the_Bang/sandbox#cite_note-19) on Ian Lipkin back in May-June 2020. I also did Eddie Holmes. Along with the [Formosahut thread](http://formosahut.com/forum/index.php?id=2035), those two posts on Wikipedia represented the first in depth analysis *on the planet* of Proximal Origin and its authors. The posts were very-much gloves on - happily following all Wikipedia rules - no opinions, every statement referenced, quoting from the horse's mouth. For my troubles i was blanked, blocked n abused. Doesn't matter - managed to get under the skin of the subjects and prick their bubble of bullshit. We'll see who wins in the end. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Lipkin, according to Garry, </span>[*<span style="font-weight: 400;">was brought on a little bit later</span>*](https://youtu.be/IxwrDSYrhjU)<span style="font-weight: 400;"> - as the</span>[ <span style="font-weight: 400;">celebrity scientist</span>](https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/prof-ian-lipkin-brings-science-hollywoods-contagion)<span style="font-weight: 400;"> salesman - with more</span>[ <span style="font-weight: 400;">ties to high-ranking China officials</span>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Before_the_Bang/sandbox)<span style="font-weight: 400;"> than Marco Polo. He didn't attend the Feb 1 teleconference because he was in China</span>[ <span style="font-weight: 400;">meeting Li Ke-chiang</span>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Before_the_Bang/sandbox#cite_note-19)<span style="font-weight: 400;"> and George Gao (18:30) </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Lipkin: (41:46):</span>*<span style="font-weight: 400;"> I</span>*[ *<span style="font-weight: 400;">offered my services</span>*](https://www.indiatoday.in/programme/newstrack-with-rahul-kanwal/video/dr-ian-lipkin-dismisses-china-lab-theory-says-virus-came-from-bat-not-lab-1669524-2020-04-21)*<span style="font-weight: 400;"> to President Xi, who I found very impressive</span>*<span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">His main job was to coordinate with the CCP, then hit the international media circuit when he arrived back in New York. As he says:</span>

*<span style="font-weight: 400;">I was doing [a lot of media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Before_the_Bang/sandbox#cite_note-19).</span>*

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A dedicated book on Lipkin is coming - all the research is there, now i'm dying to write it up coz he's easily the funniest - he could not stop incriminating himself in all his interviews. In the meantime, here's a list compiled in an earlier [Formosahut thread](http://formosahut.com/forum/index.php?id=2498):</span>

- Founding Director of Northeast Biodefense Center in 2003. [Granted $46 mil](https://www.genengnews.com/topics/translational-medicine/northeast-biodefense-center-pockets-46m-from-the-niaid/) in 2009 alone for *“pursuing multifaceted research activities” to fight “emerging infectious diseases and **terrorism**”* with special emphasis on *[ "Bacillus anthracis and ... Zoonotic diseases](http://www.virtualbiosecuritycenter.org/organizations/northeast-biodefense-center/) ...due to expertise of NBC members.”*
- Member of [WHO Collaborating Center](https://www.pathology.columbia.edu/profile/w-i-lipkin-md).
- Loves the limelight. Featured advisor for the movie *Contagion*, which he [never](https://mbio.asm.org/content/3/5/e00290-12) [shuts](http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-special-lipkin/) up [about](https://www.indiatoday.in/programme/newstrack-with-rahul-kanwal/video/dr-ian-lipkin-dismisses-china-lab-theory-says-virus-came-from-bat-not-lab-1669524-2020-04-21). Reveals one of the characters, who saves the world by breaking the rules, is based on him. [ *<span style="font-weight: 400;">I</span>* *<span style="font-weight: 400;">devised the imaginary virus that wreaks havoc in the film.</span>*](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/opinion/the-real-threat-of-contagion.html)<span style="font-weight: 400;"> Cool!</span>
- Conducted media blitz praising the [CCP’s system of government](http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-special-lipkin/) (16:17) after returning from China in Feb 2020.
- Founding Director of the [Beijing Center](https://www.pathology.columbia.edu/profile/w-i-lipkin-md) for Infectious Diseases. Visiting professor at [Beijing University](https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/china-honors-ian-lipkin). Joint lab at [Sun Yat-sen University](https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/china-honors-ian-lipkin), Beijing (CCP funded). Splits time between Columbia Uni and China.
- Relentlessly touts a medical data-centralization operation called GIDEON, whose funding, [according to Lipkin](http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-special-lipkin/), comes from the CCP. (13:43)
- [“Close friends”](http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-special-lipkin/) with Chinese government ministers and officials. (18:10)
- Received two [prestigious awards](https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/ian-lipkin-receives-top-science-honor-china) from the CCP/PLA, including one presented by [Li Kechiang in person](https://www.straitstimes.com/world/us-chinese-researchers-team-up-in-search-for-virus-origins).
- [Advocate](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-suspends-risky-disease-research/) of [Gain-of-Function](https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/dr-ian-lipkin-addresses-concerns-about-h5n1-research) experiments.
- Co-author of *Proximal Origins*, “[the definitive paper](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55364445) ruling out the possibility of a lab leak”, thereby shielding WIV from growing scrutiny. Blamed pangolin from a Wuhan market.
- Celebrity [virus/environmental evangelist](https://www.indiatoday.in/programme/newstrack-with-rahul-kanwal/video/dr-ian-lipkin-dismisses-china-lab-theory-says-virus-came-from-bat-not-lab-1669524-2020-04-21) (32:30). Has played up threat of zoonotic crossover all his career - says this is not ‘the big one’.
- <span style="font-weight: 400;">Regular collaborator with fellow-celebrity-scientist Daszak. They co-authored</span> a[ <span style="font-weight: 400;">murky MERS-origin</span>](http://formosahut.com/forum/index.php?id=2870)<span style="font-weight: 400;"> paper in Saudi Arabia.   
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