Meredith Fletcher is a first-year student in the Biodefense MS program with a special interest in terrorism and the use of pathogens as weapons.
The Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity (ELBI) fellowship, offered by the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is the most distinguished and prestigious fellowship available to those in the biosecurity profession. Two students in the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Biodefense PhD program, Janet Marroquin and Katie Dammer, were chosen for this honor and will be joining 29 other young professionals in the fellowship’s 2025 cohort. During their fellowship, participants will participate in biosecurity workshops, networking events, and research symposiums, both in Washington DC and abroad. Dr. Gregory Koblentz, director of the Biodefense Graduate Program, congratulated both students on this impressive accomplishment, “Janet and Katie are rising stars in biosecurity so it’s very gratifying to see their potential recognized by the leading think tank in the field.”
Janet graduated in 2019 with her M.S. in Biodefense and is currently pursuing a PhD in Biodefense. Her dissertation examines Russia’s motivation and strategy for using vaccine-related narratives in its disinformation operations. She currently works as a full-time research analyst for a federally funded research and development center. Her work focuses on analyzing national security challenges related to emerging biotechnologies and CBRNE weapons. Janet says, “I’m most excited to engage with international perspectives on common problems, especially science communication and public trust in state institutions.” Her time at George Mason helped prepare her for both her career and the fellowship because of the nature of the program, the diverse student backgrounds and its comprehensive approach to biosecurity. According to Janet, “The biodefense courses exposed me to the vulnerabilities that we as a global society have to the spread of disease due, in no small part, to inadequate preparedness.” Her favorite classes were Dr. Koblentz’s course on biodefense strategy and Dr. Estela Blaisten’s challenging, but rewarding, course on numerical methods.
Katie is a first-year student in the Biodefense PhD program. The ELBI program and those who speak highly of it have surrounded her since her undergraduate studies, so she jumped at the chance to learn more about this ever-changing field. She says, “I am so grateful to the Center for Health Security for the acceptance and to colleagues and ELBI alumni for all of the kind words I have received since this year’s cohort was announced. Every year brings changes, but it is exciting to know that this will be a key piece of my professional development throughout 2025.” Her focus is on the intersection of national security and science policy, and her current role covers a variety of natural, accidental, and deliberate threats. Katie is most excited to build a biosecurity community and take time away from her career to “nerd out” over the many topics presented during the fellowship. Katie hopes that her time as a fellow will both complement and enhance her research and discussion skills, and she looks forward to engaging with pioneers across the public health and policy fields. Katie feels she owes a special thanks to her dad, who as a career academic has been an inspiration as she started her PhD journey and the fellowship ahead of her.
Janet and Katie join a number of other Biodefense students and alum who have served as ELBI fellows including Siddha Hover MS ’14 (ELBI Class of 2016), Francisco Cruz MS ’15 (ELBI Class of 2016), Saskia Popescu PhD ’19 (ELBI Class of 2017), Yong-Bee Lim MS ‘13 PhD ’21 (ELBI Class of 2018), Justin Hurt PhD ’23 (ELBI Class of 2019), and Matthew Ferreira MS ’22 (ELBI Class of 2023).
Janet Marroquin:
Katie Dammer:
The Pandora Report 