Nataliya Shok

Dr. Nataliya Shok is an accomplished academic with over 10 years of transdisciplinary experience in health and science policy research. Holding dual PhDs in political science and the history of science and technology, Dr. Shok brings a deep understanding of the complex intersections between these fields. As a seasoned program manager, she possesses strong analytical skills and a wealth of experience in policy development, strategic planning, and communications. She has effectively blended administrative leadership and teaching at prestigious medical schools in Russia and Kazakhstan. In 2019, she enriched her expertise as a visiting scholar at Wake Forest University.

At Georgetown, Dr. Nataliya Shok teaches in the Graduate Program in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases, as well as in the Graduate Program in Biomedical Science Policy and Advocacy. In addition, she leads a Russia-focused team within a project on COVID-19 public health management in Asia, Russia, and Oceania, initiated by Dr. Tomoko Steen. Nataliya’s team investigates Russian approaches to global health and their implications for health security and future pandemic preparedness amid strategic competition.
Throughout her career, she has contributed to and led multiple research projects across academia, government, and civil society organizations, demonstrating her commitment to advancing impactful policy solutions. Her research findings became a subject of visiting lectures and talks across America and Europe – Cornell University, Wake Forest University, University of Notre Dame, Arizona State University, Ohio State University, Brussels School of Governance, Ulm University, Asfendiyarov Medical University, etc.

Rosa Santomartino

Blake Rasor

Blake Rasor received a B.S. in biology & microbiology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Then he earned a Ph.D. in chemical & biological engineering from Northwestern University, working with Prof. Mike Jewett to study and engineer metabolism in cell-free systems. Before joining NC State, Blake was an EMBO postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, where he worked with Prof. Tobias Erb to study photosynthesis using components from algae and cyanobacteria. Blake joined the faculty of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State University in 2025 as a part of the new biomanufacturing-focused cluster. His research combines systems and synthetic biology approaches to engineer biocatalysis platforms with a focus on cell-free systems, 1-carbon metabolism, and photosynthesis.

Claudia Vickers

Professor Claudia Vickers is an internationally recognised leader in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, with over 25 years of experience spanning academia, government, and industry. She is Professor at the Queensland University of Technology and Founder and Director of BioBuilt Solutions.

Professor Vickers has played a central role in building the synthetic biology ecosystem in Australia and connecting it globally. She was founding President of Synthetic Biology Australasia, where she established and grew a regional community spanning academia, industry, and government, including major conferences and collaborative networks that have helped bring the field to critical mass in Australia. As inaugural Director of CSIRO’s Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, she grew a A$13M initiative into a A$60M national program involving over 200 researchers across more than 40 national and international partner organisations, establishing Australia’s first nationally accessible BioFoundry and creating enduring frameworks for cross-sector collaboration.

Professor Vickers is deeply engaged in international policy and strategy for engineering biology. She has represented Australia in global forums including the OECD (Synthetic Biology and Biofutures Working Groups), the World Economic Forum (Co-Chair, Global Future Council on Synthetic Biology), and the FAO. She contributed to Australia’s national synthetic biology roadmap and has advised federal and state governments through ministerial briefings and expert working groups. Her experience spans translation and industry engagement, including executive roles in biotechnology companies and advisory work with industry, investors, and government. Alongside this, she leads a research program focused on engineering biological systems for sustainable production, with over 100 publications and significant international impact.

Tianhu Sun

I am interested in plant secondary metabolism, metabolic engineering, and plant molecular farming. Currently I am focusing on revealing carotenoid biosynthesis using tomato and Arabidopsis as model systems and multiple vitamin biofortification in seeds using synthetic biology and genetic engineering methods. Another research topic of my lab is using plant system to produce therapeutic proteins.

Tamara Mandell

Tamara Mandell, M.Ed., serves as Director of Biotility at the University of Florida (UF Biotility), where she leads national efforts to build a skilled, future ready bioscience workforce. Applying more than a decade of combined academic research and industrial biotechnology experience, she leads with a pragmatic approach to aligning competencies and skills with regulated manufacturing and research environments. Tamara led the development of the Biotechnology Aptitude and Competency Exam (BACE), a nationally recognized credential that provides employers with validated measures of workforce ready skills and expands pathways into biotechnology careers. A champion for learners, instructors, and the broader bio industrial community, she seeks to embed industry practices, competencies, and skills into multi-level curricula to support a talent pipeline capable of contributing to engineering biology and biomanufacturing innovation.
She oversees Biotility’s portfolio of industry recognized, ISO/IEC 17024 aligned credentials, developed with biotechnology employers and governed by a national industry advisory board to ensure rigor and continued relevance. Her leadership focuses on stackable credentials with cross-cutting standards leading to increased career options and advancement across biotechnology sectors. A strong advocate for maintaining high standards while expanding access, Tamara emphasizes the role of validated credentials in strengthening employer–education alignment and supporting a safe, ethical, and well qualified biotechnology workforce. Tamara holds a B.S.E. in Biology and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, foundations that bridge scientific expertise with evidence based educational design. This combination drives her commitment to shaping a capable, credentialed, and forward-looking bioscience workforce equipped to support the responsible growth and innovation goals of the broader bioscience industries.

David Gillum

Dr. David Gillum is Associate Vice President for Compliance and Research Administration and Adjunct Faculty in the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Reno. With more than 30 years of experience, he has led diverse teams across higher education and professional associations, and is widely recognized for his expertise in biosafety, biosecurity, compliance, risk management, and research administration. His research interests focus on the social and ethical dimensions of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology governance, dual-use research of concern, and potential pandemic pathogens. He has published extensively in outlets such as Science Magazine, StatNews, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, mSphere, Applied Biosafety and Health Security. A former President of ABSA International (2020), Dr. Gillum has received several recognitions including the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (2019) and the ABSA International Everett Hanel, Jr. Presidential Award (2024). He is dedicated to fostering collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement in support of research, education, and public service.

Internship at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Posted: 05/01/2026

About the Company/Organization:

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Type: Other
Size: 10,000
http://illinois.edu

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is dedicated to building upon its tradition of excellence in education, research, public engagement and economic development. More than 3,000 faculty members discover and create new knowledge. Their work is an economic engine for the state and is recognized with many of the world’s top academic and creative awards. The campus’ outstanding academic programs, extraordinary resources and bountiful opportunities attract top-caliber students. They join research teams, spend semesters abroad, create art in old and new ways and lead and participate in hundreds of student organizations. The Urbana campus has more than 425,000 alumni who are global leaders across the spectrum of human endeavor.

Internship Project/Opportunity

Location: Champaign, IL
Anticipated internship dates: August 3-7, 2026
Target intern experience level: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Postdocs
https://ibiofoundry.illinois.edu/summer-school-2026/

Join the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on August 3-7, 2026 for iBioFoundry Summer School 2026, an intensive, one-week training program in laboratory automation and AI/ML for synthetic biology.

Gain hands-on experience programming liquid handlers, analytical equipment, and robotics, and learn to build automated workflows using AI/ML-driven design-build-test-learn cycles. The program is free for selected candidates from U.S. institutions. Travel, accommodations, meals, and course materials are all covered.

Who should apply?
Undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs, technical staff, and faculty working in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and related fields.

Application deadline:
June 5, 2026

Learn more and apply:
https://ibiofoundry.illinois.edu/summer-school-2026/

Internship at Cambridge Biosecurity Hub

Posted: 04/01/2026

About the Company/Organization:

Cambridge Biosecurity Hub
Type: Nonprofit/NGO
Size:
https://www.cambiohub.org/

The Cambridge Biosecurity Hub (CBH) is a team of researchers investigating the risks associated with rapidly developing biotechnologies. They work on concrete research projects that aim to make progress on either technical or policy issues within biosecurity.

Internship Project/Opportunity

Location: Cambridge, UK
Anticipated internship dates: Starting July 6, 2026 for 10 weeks
Target intern experience level: Graduate Students
https://www.aixbiosecurity.com/fellowship

The AIxBiosecurity Fellowship is a 10-week, full-time research programme dedicated to tackling biosecurity risks amplified by recent advances in frontier AI capabilities. We want to support early-career researchers investigate ways to reduce extreme risks from engineered and natural biological threats amid rapidly advancing biotechnology and emerging AI capabilities. Our fellowship is designed to meet this reality.

What we provide
Research Support – Each fellow receives personalised research support from two key sources at ERA: dedicated research managers who provide hands-on guidance throughout the fellowship, and expert mentors from top AI and biosecurity organisations, carefully matched to specific research projects. We also run several research skills workshops and sessions.

This combination ensures that fellows receive both the tactical support to execute their projects and the strategic mentorship to develop their long-term research careers in AIxBiosecurity.

Networking & Learning
We invest in each fellow’s long-term success in the AIxBiosecurity field(s). Throughout the programme, fellows will an opportunity to develop both technical expertise and the professional networks necessary for pursuing impactful careers in this space. We hope to facilitate introductions across the AIxBiosecurity ecosystem: from research institutions and policy organisations to startups and government agencies. For fellows pursuing exceptionally high-impact opportunities, we may also provide additional transition funding to remove financial barriers for impactful careers.

Community
Fellows are immersed in a living-learning research environment in Cambridge. Each fellow receives a dedicated workspace in our office and is housed together with their cohort, enabling both focused research time and more organic collaborations.

We also host regular social events and community activities throughout the fellowship to connect fellows with each other, the wider Cambridge research community, and participants from our concurrent ERA:AI Summer fellowship (www.erafellowship.org).

Full Operational Support
We provide full operational support to our fellows. Concretely, each fellow will receive the equivalent of a £34,125 salary (pro rata), along with housing in Cambridge, and meals during working hours. Please note that all such meals will be vegan / vegetarian. Alongside this, we also provide full visa assistance, and cover travel expenses for international participants.

Our operations team handles all the day-to-day logistics and administrative needs, and fellows have access to tech equipment and research resources, thus allowing you to focus entirely on your research.

Who can apply?
The AIxBio fellowship is a talent-first programme. We hope to support a wide variety of fellows, who are committed to advancing the scientific and policy breakthroughs required for mitigating biosecurity risks amplified by the recent advances in AI capabilities. There are no formal eligibility restrictions beyond being 18 or older, and we also offer full visa support.

Potential fellows may have experience in policy, biology or life sciences, public health, or machine learning.

Our fellows will come from a range of backgrounds (professionally and globally) and are typically at a wide variety of career stages. We think that the AIxBio Fellowship is especially (though not exclusively!) valuable for:

  • PhD students looking to align their research with AIxBiosecurity,
  • Professionals from adjacent fields (technical or policy) seeking to transition into AIxBiosecurity,
  • Early-career researchers looking to deepen their expertise in AI safety and/or biosecurity research, and
  • Individuals with unique perspectives that can improve our understanding of the AIxBiosecurity interface.

Application Process
Applications for the Summer AIxBio 2026 fellowship are now open.

If you have any questions, we recommend reading through our FAQs, and then emailing us at biosecurity@erafellowship.org.

Contact: Email

Internship at The Nucleus Institute

Posted: 03/31/2026

About the Company/Organization:

The Nucleus Institute
Type: Nonprofit/NGO
Size:
http://www.nucleusutah.org/

The Nucleus Institute is Utah’s engine for innovation.

We drive collaboration between government, higher education, and industry to advance the state’s innovation economy. By aligning public and private efforts, we accelerate ideas from research to real-world impact.

Nucleus is a leader in initiatives like the Innovation District at The Point, the Nucleus Innovation Fund, and the Utah Policy Innovation Lab—building the infrastructure, funding, and partnerships that power Utah’s future.

Internship Project/Opportunity

Location: Lehi, UT
Anticipated internship dates: Summer 2026
Target intern experience level: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students
https://employment.utah.edu/lehi-ut/policy-intern-nucleus/B07C964E534B4A93B015633225F994ED/job/

Open Date: 03/23/2026

Requisition Number: PRN16867N

Job Title: OCHE Intern

Working Title: Policy Intern, Nucleus

Career Progression Track: UGR

FLSA Code: Nonexempt

Patient Sensitive Job Code? No

Type: Non Benefited Staff / Student

Temporary? Yes

Standard Hours per Week: Up to 19

Full Time or Part Time? Part Time

Shift: Day

Is this a work study job? No

City: Lehi, UT

Pay Rate Range $15.00

Close Date 06/23/2026

Priority Review Date (Note – Posting may close at any time)

 

Work Schedule Summary

  • 10-12 hours per week (flexible schedule for independent work) for two consecutive semesters.
  • This position is primarily remote but candidates must be able to travel to Salt Lake once per week for structured in-person learning. This internship will start May 13th.

 

Job Summary

PolicyLab serves as a core component of the Nucleus Institute’s mission, bridging frontier research and state governance to deliver clear, actionable guidance to Utah’s Legislature. This selective internship is designed to cultivate the next generation of policy leaders, immersing students in the full arc of the legislative process while distilling expert scientific knowledge into real-world policy impact.

PolicyLab interns engage in a specialized, two-semester program. Responsibilities include observing the legislative process firsthand, contributing to a long-term research agenda, and executing independent policy projects. Strong research and writing skills, an aptitude for systems thinking, and a commitment to translating scientific expertise into actionable legislative solutions are essential.

 

Responsibilities

  • Framework Mastery: Complete training in foundational policy frameworks, including systems thinking, wicked problems, and deliberative democracy.
  • Legislative Learning: Connect with local lawmakers to gain firsthand understanding of state policymaking.
  • Research Infrastructure: Design, build, and maintain a comprehensive research database system for tracking tech innovation policy developments across various jurisdictions (local, state, national, international).
  • Data and Analysis: Create stakeholder mapping tools, develop standardized templates for research briefs, and gain competence in research workflow and citation management systems (e.g., Zotero, Notion).
  • Applied Policy Research: Conduct comparative policy analysis (e.g., AI regulation approaches), support evidence-based policy research through data collection, policy design thinking, and policy evaluation.
  • Cohort Leadership & Knowledge Sharing : Serve as a mentor and transition lead by training incoming interns, thoroughly documenting research workflows, and ensuring the program’s sustained operational success.

 

Minimum Qualifications

  • High School Diploma, or equivalency
  • Current undergraduate and graduate students attending Utah universities. We encourage students from all majors to apply.
  • Strong research and writing skills with the ability to synthesize complex information accurately and concisely.
  • Genuine interest in technology policy and innovation shaping Utah’s future.
  • Availability to commit to 10-12 hours per week for the duration of the internship.

 

Additional Information

The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and patients from all backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education and quality healthcare for historically underrepresented students and patients.

All qualified individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action ( OEO /AA). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at: https://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/

Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu

https://safety.utah.edu/safetyreport This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security-related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South.

Webinar – Relational Governance for Engineered Organisms

In this lecture, Riley Taitingfong, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Arizona, will focus on practical tools and frameworks for supporting Indigenous governance of emerging biotechnologies, with particular relevance for engineered microbes for environmental release (EMERs). Drawing on concepts and strategies from the Indigenous Data Sovereignty movement, Taitingfong will show how governance approaches rooted in connectivity, reciprocity, and responsibility to place can translate into concrete guidance for actors exploring the use of engineered microbes in the environment. By situating EMERs within relational governance approaches, Taitingfong asks how decision-making processes can align scientific objectives with local priorities while accounting for power imbalances and honoring long-held relationships to lands, waters, and more-than-human kin. Taitingfong will introduce tools to demonstrate how Indigenous governance frameworks can be operationalized in practice. Together, we will consider how these tools offer pathways for integrating relational accountability into EMER development and supporting community-driven approaches to biotechnology.

Internship at GenBio AI

Posted: 03/10/2026

About the Company/Organization:

GenBio AI
Type: Company
Size:
https://genbio.ai/

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we are a newly established start-up where a collective of visionary scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs are dedicated to transforming the landscape of biology and medicine through the power of generative AI. Our team comprises leading minds and innovators in AI and biological science, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We are dreamers who reimagine a new paradigm for biology and medicine.

We are committed to decoding biology holistically and enabling the next generation of life-transforming solutions. As the first mover in pan-modal Large Biological Models (LBM), we are pioneering a new era of biomedicine, with our LBM training leading to ground-breaking advancements and a transformative approach to healthcare. Our robust R&D team and leadership in LLMs and generative AI position us at the forefront of this revolutionary field. With headquarters in Silicon Valley, California, and a branch office in Paris and Abu Dhabi, we are poised to make a global impact. Join us as we embark on this journey to redefine the future of biology and medicine through the transformative power of Generative AI.

Internship Project/Opportunity

Location: Palo Alto, CA / Abu Dubai / Paris
Anticipated internship dates: Open
Target intern experience level: Graduate Students
https://jobs.lever.co/genbio/97d1b075-b30a-4ed6-9ba3-d6690a606348/apply?lever-source=LinkedIn&source=LinkedIn&lever-source=LinkedInJobs&lever-source=LinkedInJobs

Job Description:

  • You will work with the team to conduct cutting-edge research in AI, foundation models, and computational biology. Your primary tasks will include improving existing models and exploring new methodologies to advance our AI capabilities in biology
  • You will collaborate with the team on designing and executing large-scale experiments, analyzing complex datasets, and applying statistical techniques to validate the performance and robustness of AI systems
  • Additionally, you will work closely with AI/machine learning researchers and computational biologists to develop Genbio AI’s state-of-the-art biology foundation models and drive the research agenda to generate impact

Qualification:

  • Currently enrolled in a full-time master’s or PhD (preferred) program in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related technical field (preferably in the United States)
  • A strong coder with excellent skills in C/C++ and Python
  • Fluent in deep learning frameworks like PyTorch (and/or JAX), Hugging Face (Datasets, Accelerate, Transformers, etc.), Megatron-LM, DeepSpeed, etc
  • Have a solid understanding of GPU, CPU, or other AI accelerator architectures
  • Familiar with LLM (and/or other foundation model) architectures (such as attention mechanisms, state-space models, MoE, etc.) and training infrastructure (e.g., large-scale GPU clusters)
  • Have experience improving ML accuracy using low-precision formats
  • Have 1+ years of relevant industry experience
  • Derive a great deal of satisfaction from every percentage point of performance improvement
  • Have experience writing and optimizing compute kernels using CUDA or similar languages

Nice to Have:

  • Current PhD in Computer Science and Engineering with a specialization in Computer Architecture, Parallel Computing, Compilers, or other systems
  • Co-optimizing computing infrastructure and deep learning frameworks for optimal performance on specific workloads. Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks through profiling and system analysis
  • Experience collaborating with data scientists and machine learning engineers to integrate distributed training capabilities into GenBio
  • AI’s model development and deployment frameworks
  • Proficient in Python with experience in GPU-accelerated libraries (e.g., CUDA, cuDNN)
  • Knowledge of performance profiling and optimization tools for HPC and deep learning

Internship at The White House Office of Science and Technology

Posted: 02/05/2026

About the Company/Organization:

The White House Office of Science and Technology
Type: Other
Size:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/

Congress established the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in 1976 to provide the President and Executive Office of the President (EOP) with advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of national policy and the work of the executive branch. This includes matters of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, the environment, education, and resource management.

The OSTP Director oversees the development and execution of the nation’s science and technology policy agenda, leading White House efforts in critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum information sciences, and biotechnology, with the aim of safeguarding US leadership in these fields and ensuring they advance in ways that bolster American economic competitiveness, national security, and human flourishing. The OSTP Director co-chairs the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), an advisory board whose members are drawn from outside the Federal Government, typically from industry, academia, and research institutions. The Director also chairs the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), which coordinates the science and technology policymaking process across the executive branch to ensure delivery of the President’s agenda.

In addition to leading interagency science and policy coordination, OSTP assists the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with annual reviews and priority setting for the Federal research and development budget, and evaluates the scale, quality, and effectiveness of Federal science and technology efforts. OSTP also serves as a source of scientific and technical analysis and judgment for the President with respect to any major strategies, plans, and Government programs.

Internship Project/Opportunity

Location: Washington DC
Anticipated internship dates: Year round
Target intern experience level: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students
https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/internships/

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Internship Program

Serving as an OSTP Intern provides students a unique opportunity to work closely with senior White House officials and science and technology staff in OSTP’s policy divisions or on OSTP’s legal team.

More information about the application process can be found here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OSTP-Intern-2026-Guidance.pdf

Policy Internships
Students interested in working on the development of national science and technology policy are recommended to apply for a policy internship. Ideal candidates have a passion for science and technology, strong research and writing skills, the ability to work while prioritizing several projects at once, a willingness to support outreach events and a desire for public service. Policy internships are open to interested students from all majors and academic programs. Any student, including law students, may apply for a policy internship.

Internships are also available with OSTP’s communications team. Students interested in Communications or Public Affairs should inquire about opportunities to work primarily with OSTP’s communications team in their policy application.

Policy internship applications only should be sent to: internships@ostp.eop.gov
Questions about your policy internship application should be sent to: internships@ostp.eop.gov

Eligibility
All applicants must be U.S. citizens. Permanent residents and students who do not currently hold U.S. citizenship are not eligible.
Applicants must be enrolled, at least half-time, in an accredited college or university during the desired internship term. Students in undergraduate, graduate, law, LLM, and professional programs in all fields are encouraged to apply.
Preference will be given to applicants available for 30+ hours per week.

Timeline
Summer Semester (May – August): Applications due February 28, 2026
Fall Semester (September – December): Applications due June 14, 2026
Spring Semester (January – April): Applications due September 20, 2026

Contact: Email

Robert Mikulak

Ambassador (ret) Robert P. Mikulak is an independent expert on chemical and biological security issues. Until mid-December 2025, he served as an expert on these issues at the United States Department of State, focusing on measures for strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention, ensuring that advances in biology are not used to create new biological weapons, and investigation of alleged use of chemical or biological weapons. He is also an expert consultant for the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs.
From November 2010 until his retirement in July 2015, Ambassador Mikulak was the United States Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). He previously served in the State Department and the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency in a series of increasingly responsible technical and policy positions related to prohibition of chemical and biological weapons. During the decade-long negotiation of the 1992 Chemical Weapons Convention, he was the deputy U.S. negotiator and senior U.S. expert.
Ambassador Mikulak was awarded the OPCW-The Hague Award in 2019 for outstanding contributions toward a world free of chemical weapons. Other honors include high-level awards from the Secretaries of State and Defense and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Ambassador Mikulak received his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He did post-doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Allen Liu

Allen Liu received a B.Sc. degree in Biochemistry (Honors) from the University of British Columbia in 2001. He obtained his Ph.D. in Biophysics in 2007 from the University of California-Berkeley and received his post-doctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute-La Jolla. He started his group in 2012, and he is currently the Associate Chair for Graduate Education and a Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Biophysics at the University of Michigan. His current research interests lie in cellular mechanotransduction and bottom-up synthetic biology, and his lab uses tools from quantitative cell biology, synthetic biology, biophysics, and microfluidics. He has received the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, a Young Innovator by Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE), a Rising Star from CMBE-Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), and was named a Future of Biophysics Burroughs Wellcome Fund Symposium speaker. He is an elected Fellow of the BMES, and a recipient of the Endeavour Executive Fellowship (Australia) and the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researcher (Germany)

Synthetic Biology and Engineering Organisms for the Environment

What are engineered microbes? How are they created? And why are scientists developing them? In this lecture, Joff Silberg, Ph.D., Professor of Biosciences at Rice University, will describe what synthetic biology is and how it can be used to develop engineered microbes that have new functions that can identify disease outbreaks, breakdown chemicals, and develop more sustainable fertilizers.

This event is part of the “Engineered Microbes for Environmental Release” webinar series that brings together voices from synthetic biology, ecology, policy, science and technology studies, biotechnology, ethics, and history to explore the social, technological, and environmental dimensions of these innovations. Hosted by the Baker Institute’s Science and Technology Policy Program and co-sponsored by the Rice Synthetic Biology Institute, this webinar series was supported by a grant from Schmidt Sciences and the National Science Foundation (#2223678 & 2515431).

Alejandro Vallejo

I am a biotechnologist and biosecurity specialist with active research and policy engagement at the intersection of synthetic biology, public health, and regulatory governance. My work combines molecular biology, genomics, and bioethics with the development and evaluation of biosafety and biotechnology regulatory frameworks in Latin America and the Caribbean. I have published peer-reviewed research on genomics, molecular diagnostics, and emerging biotechnologies, and I served as a national consultant on biosecurity for international organizations including FAO and PAHO/WHO and National organizations like the Ministry of Environment. My professional focus is on enabling responsible innovation in synthetic biology through evidence-based policy, capacity building, and applied research in resource-limited settings.

Rennos Fragkoudis

Rennos Fragkoudis completed his PhD on molecular virology and viral pathogenesis at the University of Edinburgh and for ~15 years he concentrated his research on the pathogenesis of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) in both vertebrate and invertebrate systems working with alpha-, flavi- and bunyaviruses.
Since November 2019, Rennos is the Head of the Edinburgh Genome Foundry at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Biological Sciences. In this role, he leads a multidisciplinary team focused on advancing high-throughput Engineering Biology through the innovative application of laboratory automation and robotics. Under his leadership, the Edinburgh Genome Foundry has become a hub for automated Engineering Biology, fostering collaboration across academia and industry and working on a large variety of projects addressing grand challenges.

Susan Rosser

Susan is Professor of Synthetic Biology and Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Chair in Emerging Technologies at the University of Edinburgh. She was Director of the UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology and is currently the director of the newly funded Engineering Biology Mission Hub for Advanced Therapeutics. Prof Rosser is Co-director of the Edinburgh Genome Foundry for synthetic DNA assembly and cell phenotyping. Her research focuses on using engineering biology approaches for developing and controlling genetic circuits for applications in cell and gene therapies as well as metabolic engineering. Prof Rosser is a member of the UK Engineering Biology Advisory Panel. She is also co-founder of two early-stage start-ups using a combination of AI and engineering biology for new gene therapies and enzyme replacement therapies for rare diseases.

Seung Hwan Lee

Seung Hwan “Allen” Lee is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Ray D. & Mary T. Johnson/Mayon Plastics Professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. His passion for engineering microorganisms to enable sustainable energy and chemical production began during his undergraduate research at UCLA under Prof. James Liao. After completing his undergraduate studies, he earned his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Rice University, where he worked under the guidance of Prof. Ramon Gonzalez. His undergraduate and doctoral research focused on the efficient biological utilization of one-carbon (C1) compounds through engineering native and synthetic metabolic pathways. As one of the co-inventors of the Formyl-CoA Elongation (FORCE) pathways, he helped develop a novel approach for converting C1 feedstock into value-added small molecules. During his postdoc under the guidance of Prof. Greg Stephanopoulos at MIT, he has expanded his research to include engineering non-model organisms, leveraging their inherent abilities to efficiently utilize C1 and C2 feedstocks. Beyond his research, Allen is actively engaged in biotechnology and climate technology communities, participating in organizations such as the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB), the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC), and the MIT Energy Conference.