Center News

Center for Health Security announces fellows accepted to Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative class of 2022

May 24, 2022 - The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security has accepted 30 professionals and scholars into its Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative (ELBI) fellowship program for 2022.

This year’s class is the most diverse in program history. Eligibility was expanded to nearly all countries, which brought in international talent to the 228-person application pool. Throughout the year, new fellows will attend 3 multiday workshops and in-person networking opportunities with some of the top minds in domestic and global health security.

“We are excited to welcome our new class of Emerging Leaders,” said Tom Inglesby, MD, director of the Center. “Our 2022 fellows come with extraordinary and diverse expertise across a broad range of fields, sectors, and countries. These are the kinds of professionals we’ll rely on to think through and implement plans to prevent and respond to future biological threats we may face. We look forward to the year of learning and relationship-building ahead.”

Now in its eighth 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 supports talented career professionals in deepening their expertise, expanding their network, and building their leadership skills through a series of events coordinated by the Center. More than 195 alumni have graduated as ELBI fellows from government, private industry, and academia, with expertise across defense, science, law, public/global health, medicine, journalism, and the social sciences.

The 2022 ELBI Fellows are:

• Janvi Ahuja, Future of Humanity Institute
• Patricia Akinfenwa, Twist Bioscience
• Tessa Alexanian, iGEM Foundation
• Mayra Ameneiros, King’s College London
• Anna Bezruki, Georgetown University
• Rihana Diabo, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)
• Ryan Duncombe, Alvea
• Lennox Kesington Ebbarnezh, Makarere University
• Richard Egan, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
• Daniel Greene, Stanford University
• Hannah Herzig, European Commission
• Christopher Hoover, California Department of Public Health
• Melissa Hopkins, U.S. House of Representatives
• Heather Kromer, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)
• Georgia Lagoudas, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
• Kumiko Lippold, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
• Niall McGlynn, Irish Public Service
• Opeayo Ogundiran, World Health Organization
• Jassi Pannu, Stanford University
• James Petrie, University of Waterloo
• Benjamin Rader, Boston Children's Hospital
• Jonas Sandbrink, Future of Humanity Institute
• Emma Saunders, Chatham House
• Noor Shakfeh, United Nations Foundation
• Shalini Singaravelu, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
• Vivian Smith, Battelle Memorial Institute
• Kathleen Stevens, U.S. Department of State
• Cindy Vindman, U.S. Army DEVCOM, Army Research Lab
• Josh Wentzel, U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee
• Chenny Zhang, In-Q-Tel

Matthew Watson, Amanda Kobokovich, MPH, Marc Trotochaud, MSPH, Crystal Watson, DrPH, Lucia Mullen, MPH, and Hannah Ottman-Feeney manage the ELBI fellowship program. It 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.