Support overseas implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), a U.S. and international effort to build capability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats, whether naturally occurring or accidentally or deliberately spread.Responsibilities include:• Assisting partner countries complete assessments to measure their capability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.• Working with partner countries to build short and long term plans for GHSA implementation based on their current capability and health priorities.• Developing tools to plan and implement US Government activities to support GHSA in 32 countries.• Designing tools to track and report countries’ progress implementing the GHSA.Some examples of this work include:• Worked with CDC staff in Kazakhstan and Kazakh partners to complete an assessment of Kazakhstan’s IHR and GHSA capabilities. The results of the assessment will form the starting point for the development of a 5 year plan by the Government of Kazakhstan to implement the GHSA.• Worked with representatives from Georgia’s Ministry of Health to develop a draft plan to implement the GHSA over five years in Georgia.• Developed the program management template that is used each year by the CDC to plan GHS activities with partners in 19 countries.• Created CDC documents to guide planning and implementation of GHSA. These documents were adapted to be used as the US Government guidance to all Departments and Agencies that implement the GHSA, a program funded through an appropriation of approximately $1.2B.

Supports the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP), an international capability building program that works cooperatively with nations to eliminate biological weapons, improve biosafety and biosecurity, and establish or enhance biosurveillance capability.Specific activities to support CBEP include:• Providing oversight for the implementation of CBEP in South and Southeast Asia.• Developing policies and procedures for engaging with countries for capability building and research programs. • Representing CBEP in discussions with US Government interagency, Congressional, and international partners.Some examples of this work include:• Identifying areas of shared interest with the World Health Organization (WHO), and developing a reporting and oversight structure for over $13M in grant awards.• Working with a US Government interagency team to develop and implement the Global Health Security Agenda, an international health and security effort that is supported by over 45 countries.• Identifying core program messages for delivery to Congressional audiences.

Developed new Academy policy projects (colloquia) focused on current areas in the microbial sciences that are poised to affect society or policy decisions: • Tracked primary and secondary literature and identified emerging areas of microbiology that could affect policy decisions • Identified and recruited subject matter experts to consult on project development • Wrote reports and worked with subject matter experts to ensure accuracy

Served as a life science fellow for the Committee on Science, Technology, and Law (CSTL)• Prepared briefing materials and analyzed/summarized literature on diverse topics in the life sciences• Developed workshop outlines and proposals for life science projects• Identified potential funding sources for core funding and project support

Characterized the biochemical properties of the bacterial cytoskeletal protein CtpS.

Identified a characterized a novel bacterial cytoskeletal protein, CtpS, that regulates cell shape and is conserved from bacteria to humans.

Characterized and verified Arabidopsis thaliana mutants through Polymerase Chain Reaction.