Shruti Sharma

I have been working with Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, India, a think-tank based out of New Delhi since November 2016. As part of my tenure at Carnegie, I have risen from an intern to an associate fellow while gaining enormous experience in primary and secondary research, event management, stakeholder mapping and engagement.

1. Analyzed the latest biotechnology advances and the associated regulatory and security challenges in India. 2. Assisted Carnegie scholars on their research on big data, data protection and blockchain technology. 3. Coordinated with speakers, curated panel information, looked after registration lists, and helped with logistical arrangements for all speakers for Carnegie India’s annual Global Technology Summit for two consecutive years. 4. Assisted with organizing 6 public events, 4 private roundtable discussions, and 2 workshops. Included creating marketing lists for the events, tracking registrations, and coordinating logistics.

1. Conduct an awareness-raising virtual workshop on cyberbiosecurity for life scientists, bioinformaticians, and institutional IT professionals at key life sciences research centers in India. 2. Develop and rollout a train-the-trainers program for best practices in cyber-hygiene to protect against cyberthreats at life sciences institutions.

1. Engage with stakeholders from the government, private sector, and the scientific and academic community, through personal meetings and events, to foster collaboration to prepare and respond to biological threats. 2. Evaluate the role of biotechnology in India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and recommend ways to strengthen research to prevent future pandemics.

1. Lead for the project on Biological Risks in India: Issues & Perspectives under the Technology and International Affairs Program. The role aims at understanding how rapid advances in biotechnology impacts national and international security. 2. Assess the degree to which Indian policymakers, scientific community, academia, and industry experts are engaged in biotechnology risks through personal interviews, workshops, roundtables, and conferences. 3. Convener for Carnegie India’s Global Technology Summit organized under the Technology & Society Program. This involves curating the Summit’s agenda and discussions, coordinating with speakers and stakeholders, organizing all public panels, closed-door events, and speaker interviews, as well as preparing the final conference report.

1. Spearheaded interviews to get deep insights about the synthetic biology environment in the country and the related biosecurity, biosafety, and regulatory challenges. 2. Conducted workshops to closely examine the impact of recent advancements in biotechnology on the biosecurity and biosafety infrastructure in India. 3. Independently coordinated Carnegie India’s Global Technology Summit 2018.

1. Introduce university level students, especially women, to subjects such as non-proliferation, arms control, and disarmament issues. 2. Encourage and guide mentees to conduct research, contribute to short and long form research, and participate in events and workshops.

1. Presented my research on the state of biosecurity in India and discussed ways to strengthen it locally. 2. Participated in discussions that involved developing capacities for more effective implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and facilitation of international cooperation for peaceful purposes. 3. Engaged with over 10 experts on topics such as dual-use research of concern, responsible and ethical science and innovation, global health security, and other science and technology topics relevant to the BWC.

I did a five year dual-degree course from Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Noida and was awarded a silver medal at my convocation ceremony.