Staff

Jonathan Klonowski

Jonathan is a policy postdoctoral researcher at the Engineering Biology Research Consortium focusing on biosecurity and simulating the bioeconomy. Earning is PhD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Jonathan used an interdisciplinary approach to explore the complexities of developmental diseases employing biological and computational methods. Transitioning into policy, Jonathan now aims to leverage his expertise and leadership to drive evidence-based policy at the intersection of biotechnology, national security and society to ensure inclusive solutions for society’s most pressing challenges.

During graduate school, Jonathan led Allegheny Science Policy and Governance for five years, promoting the role of science in public policy. He organized over 15 Science Policy, Advocacy, Communication and Diplomacy (Sci-PACD) events, mentored 10 early-career scientists, and published several policy manuscripts that contributed to the engagement of scientists in policy. Jonathan Is also a member of the National Science Policy Network, where he launched and managed two grants amplifying the voices of minority communities in Sci-PACD.

In 2023, Jonathan consulted for the Special Competitive Studies Project — a think tank focused on U.S. competitiveness in the technology sector — utilizing his strengths as an adaptable analyst also capable of uniting stakeholders. There, he authored a public-private moonshot action plan to foster innovation in biotechnology by creating an open-source genetic library that encompasses global biodiversity. His work contributed to initiatives that aim to enhance national security and competitiveness by promoting collaboration across the Vannevar Bush Triangle.

Johnathan O’Neil

Johnathan is a postdoctoral scholar at the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC). He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Georgia Tech, where his research centered on the biomechanics and fluid dynamics of semiaquatic insects’ locomotion with potential applications in robotics. His fieldwork included studying these insects in Georgia and the Peruvian Amazon. During graduate school, he actively engaged in outreach events in both Atlanta and Peru. Outside of research, Johnathan enjoys writing poetry and collecting vinyl records.

Elizabeth Allen

Elizabeth is a U.S. Coast Guard Veteran who spent 12 years as a Food Service Officer. She joined EBRC as a Senior Administrator in August 2024. She has most recently been a contract Executive Assistant with First Republic Bank and FEMA. She has a B.S. in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University. She is an avid book reader and crossfitter. You can find her hiking the Bay Area on the weekends with her husband and three kids.

Garrett Dunlap

Dr. Garrett Dunlap joined EBRC as Associate Director of Policy & International Engagement in September 2024. Before this, he was Head of Science and Innovation at the British Consulate-General in New York, fostering UK-US science and tech collaborations. He previously worked as a Graduate Fellow at the Wilson Center, focusing on biosecurity risks from converging technologies, and as a Science Diplomacy Fellow with the Netherlands Innovation Network, exploring deep tech innovation ecosystems. In addition to his current role, Garrett is a Fellow for Ending Bioweapons with the Council on Strategic Risks, and he also participates in working groups for the World Economic Forum and All Tech is Human. He holds a Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Sciences from Harvard University and undergraduate degrees in Biology and Political Science from Case Western Reserve University.

Sebastian Rivera

Sebastian Rivera is a Science Policy Postdoctoral scholar at the Engineering Biology Research Consortium. Prior to EBRC, he was a NIH Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Fellow at the University of Michigan, where his research focused on identifying and characterizing fungal enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of drug-like molecules. Additionally, he received a certificate in Science, Technology, and Public Policy through the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. His interests lie in policy and security considerations for the responsible development and release of computational tools for designing proteins and other macromolecules for engineering biology. When he isn’t working, Sebastian is rock climbing, playing the latest RPGs, or exploring the local food scene.

Julietta Sheng

Julietta Sheng is a Science Policy postdoctoral scholar at the Engineering Biology Research Consortium. Prior to EBRC, she was a Junior Fellow at Colorado State University in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital – Boston and partnered with bioengineers, clinicians, and academics to enhance evidence-based research, identify scientific challenges, and develop creative solutions. She recently earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences – Neuroscience from Colorado State University with a focus on sex differences in the brain and body that lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Outside of work, Julietta likes to play pickleball, read psychological thrillers, and go on long walks with her puppos.

Mary Tomagan

Mary Tomagan is currently the Senior Administrator at EBRC, providing operation support and event planning. Prior to her position at EBRC, Mary was the Business Office and Operations Coordinator at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA and a Membership Program Manager at the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She is a soccer and baseball mom of two very active boys and a foodie.

India Hook-Barnard

Dr. India Hook-Barnard is Executive Director of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC). Her primary interests are in the areas of synthetic biology, precision medicine, responsible innovation, and biosecurity. India enjoys building multidisciplinary collaborations and developing a vision and strategy to address complex challenges. She works with experts and leaders from across academia, industry, and government sectors to identify and shape scientific opportunities, technical feasibility, and policy issues. Her goal is to advance and accelerate engineering biology solutions across all application areas, drive innovation, and grow the bioeconomy for all.

Prior to joining EBRC, India was Senior Advisor to the Beyond 2020: A Vision and Pathway for NIH Working Group, and Senior Vice President for Patient Outcomes and Experience at the National Marrow Donor Program. She was the Director of Research Strategy and Associate Director, Precision Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco; she helped launch and was the Executive Director for the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine. Earlier in her career, India worked at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), focusing on areas of emerging science and technology, including policy issues of data governance, regulation, bioethics, biodefense, and workforce development. At NASEM, she directed standing committees, workshops, and six consensus reports, including Toward Precision Medicine: Building a Knowledge Network for Biomedical Research and a New Taxonomy of Disease (2011).

As a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institutes of Health, India studied the regulation of gene expression in bacteria and phage. She earned her PhD in Microbiology-Medicine from the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Missouri.

Kaitlyn Duvall

Kaitlyn Duvall is currently a Project and Research Associate at EBRC, providing support on a variety of projects. Prior to her position at EBRC, she held concurrent positions at the City of Reno and the University of Nevada, Reno. Kaitlyn received a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Nevada, Reno and a M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University.

Becky Mackelprang

Becky Mackelprang is the Director for Security Programs at the Engineering Biology Research Consortium. She leads EBRC’s Security Focus Area, bringing stakeholders across academia, industry, and government together to integrate security awareness into the policy and practice of engineering biology. Becky leads the development of commentary and recommendations on issues such as screening by synthetic DNA providers and the security implications at the intersection of artificial intelligence and engineering biology. She has implemented strategies to incorporate security into researcher education and training. Becky is committed to supporting an engineering biology research and development ecosystem that maximizes societal benefit while using a multi-faceted approach to support safe, secure, and productive innovation. Previously, Becky was an EBRC Science Policy Postdoctoral Scholar, an AAAS Mass Media Fellow, a science communication postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley, and received her Ph.D. in Plant Biology from UC Berkeley.

Emily Aurand

Emily Aurand

Dr. Emily Aurand has served as the Director of Roadmapping and Education at EBRC since 2018. Emily is the Executive Editor of EBRC’s technical research roadmaps, and has led the production and release of five EBRC technical roadmaps to-date, all of which are available through https://roadmap.ebrc.org. Emily created and led the EBRC Industry Internship Program and leads the EBRsee outreach and education project, including the collaboration with the Tumble Science Podcast for Kids to create “Life Lab” a five episode podcast series about engineering biology for school-aged kids and their families. Emily supervises and mentors the EBRC science policy postdocs and research assistant and supports the Student & Postdoc Association. Emily also leads EBRC science policy communications, contributes and reports on funding and grant support, and oversees and manages the EBRC websites.

Prior to coming to EBRC, Emily was an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation. At NSF her work in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) included evaluation and assessment of the Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing portfolios, collaboration on the strategic reorganization of CBET programmatic concentrations, and development and implementation of novel funding initiatives, in addition to serving as a subject matter expert (a biologist amongst engineers). During her AAAS fellowship, Emily also served as a co-chair of the Fellows’ Science Diplomacy Affinity Group, which explores how science and technology cooperation can be used as a tool for diplomacy.

Emily received a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Colorado. She continued her academic training in Trieste, Italy with a neuroengineering post-doctoral fellowship at the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA). Her scientific research experience spans the fields of developmental neurobiology, biomaterial development, and neural tissue engineering and biocompatibility.

Emily is a United States Figure Skating Double Gold Medalist and the proud Auntie to adorable toddler Jack. In her free time, she likes to relax by practicing yoga, dancing in her kitchen while she cooks, and snuggling with her elderly cats (who make frequent appearances in EBRC virtual events). When she’s not traveling to convene with EBRC members and stakeholders, Emily lives and works in Colorado.

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