Center for Health Security announces fellows accepted to Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative class of 2023

January 12, 2023 – The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security has accepted 31 professionals and scholars into its Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative (ELBI) fellowship program for 2023. This incredibly accomplished and diverse class was chosen from more than 227 applicants through a rigorous selection process. Eligibility was expanded globally and brought i extraordinary international talent to the application pool. Throughout the year, new fellows will attend 3 multi-day workshops and additional in-person networking opportunities with some of the top minds in domestic and global health security.

Now in its tenth year, the highly competitive part-time ELBI fellowship program inspires and connects the next generation of leaders and innovators in the biosecurity community. The program is an opportunity for talented career professionals to deepen their expertise, expand their network, and build their leadership skills through a series of sponsored events coordinated by the Center. This fellowship boasts more than 250 alumni who come from government, defense, private industry, science, law, public health, medicine, global health, journalism, the social sciences, and academia.

The 2023 ELBI Fellows are:

• Oluwatosin Akande, World Health Organization
• Rahul Arora, University of Calgary
• Fatima Aziz, Aga Khan University
• Bill Beaver, US Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy
• Gemma Bowsher, King’s College London
• Will Bradshaw, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Bangin Brim, European Commission Health Emergency and Response Authority (HERA)
• Nathan Calvin, US Senate, Office of Senator Alex Padilla
• Maggie Davis, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
• Jasmine Dhaliwal, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Mariam Elgabry, Bronic
• Matthew Ferreira, George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government
• Anjali Gopal, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Stephanie Guerra, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
• Suryateja Jammalamadaka, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Nils Justen, United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs
• Sarah Koeller, Chester County Health Department
• Natalie Linton, California Department of Health
• Geoffrey Namara, World Health Organization Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence
• Judith Okolo, Nigeria National Biotechnology Development Agency
• Scott Olesen, Biobot
• Edyth Parker, Scripps Research
• Sophie Rose, Council on Strategic Risks
• Pingdewinde Sam, Boston Consulting Group
• João Simões, European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL)
• Michaela Simoneau, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
• Aleksandar Stoller, Tulane University
• Joel Straus, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)
• Nikki Teran, Guarding Against Pandemics
• Kim Trollope, Stellensbosch University
• Katarina Watney, US Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)

Amanda Kobokovich, Rachel A. Vahey, Crystal Watson, Lucia Mullen, Ben Wakefield, Andrea Lapp, and Rachael Brown manage the ELBI fellowship program. The program is supported by the Open Philanthropy Project.

About the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security:
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security works to protect people from epidemics and disasters and build resilient communities through innovative scholarship, engagement, and research that strengthens the organizations, systems, policies, and programs essential to preventing and responding to public health crises. The Center is part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD.