Hudson Institute to Host Dr. Steven Quay for Launch of "The Code as Witness"

June 15 program will examine COVID origins, scientific accountability, and how to reduce the risk of future pandemics while preserving lifesaving biomedical research

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hudson Institute will host physician-scientist and Hudson Senior Fellow Dr. Steven Quay on Monday, June 15, for a public discussion of his new book, The Code as Witness: How the COVID Genome Reveals Its Lab Origins and How to Prevent Future Outbreaks.

Ahead of its June 9 publication, The Code as Witness reached #1 New Release status in the Amazon category, Medical Law and Legislation, reflecting early reader interest in COVID origins, scientific accountability, and biosecurity reform.

The event, "The Code as Witness: COVID Origins, Scientific Accountability, and Preventing the Next Pandemic," will examine one of the most consequential scientific and public-health questions of the modern era: how the COVID-19 pandemic began, what the genetic evidence shows, and how the United States can reduce the risk of future biological threats while maintaining the biomedical research enterprise that saves lives.

Senator Roger Marshall, a leading voice in Congress for stronger oversight of high-risk biological research, will open the program by framing the stakes for Congress, national security, public health, and scientific accountability. Hudson Institute President John P. Walters will also participate.

Dr. Quay will discuss the central findings of The Code as Witness, which examines the genetic evidence surrounding SARS-CoV-2 and argues that features of the virus are most consistent with human engineering. The book also looks beyond COVID-19 to a larger question: how the United States can preserve lifesaving biomedical research while creating stronger, more transparent guardrails for the small subset of experiments that could pose population-level risk.

Following Dr. Quay's remarks, Hudson Senior Fellow David Asher will sit down with him for a fireside conversation on COVID origins, biosafety, biosecurity, gain-of-function research, and the reforms needed to strengthen public trust in science while reducing the risk of future pandemics.

"COVID should have been a turning point," said Dr. Quay. "The lesson is not to stop lifesaving biomedical research, but to build a trusted system that distinguishes ordinary research from the small category of experiments that could create population-level risk. Scientific progress and public safety must advance together."

Dr. Quay is a physician-scientist, entrepreneur, author, and Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute. He has briefed Congress and advised the State Department on COVID-19 origins and biosecurity. He is the inventor or co-inventor of multiple FDA-approved medicines used by millions of patients and the author of hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific publications. His website is www.DrQuay.com

The Code as Witness can be ordered online here.

Event Details
What: The Code as Witness: COVID Origins, Scientific Accountability, and Preventing the Next Pandemic
When: Monday, June 15, 2026, 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Where: Hudson Institute, Washington, DC
Speakers: John P. Walters, Dr. Steven Quay, Senator Roger Marshall, and David Asher

Members of the public and press can register through Hudson Institute's event page here: Registration

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SOURCE Dr. Steven Quay