Dr. Saskia Popescu is an infectious disease epidemiologist and infection preventionist focusing on strengthening global health security. She currently serves as a Senior Fellow within the Council on Strategic Risks, and as an Assistant Professor within the College of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her work has focused on global health security, the intersection of politics and government on biopreparedness, One Health, and outbreak response. Previously, Dr. Popescu worked as the lead epidemiologist at Netflix and within healthcare, where she developed and supported COVID-19 response and infectious disease preparedness. She has served as a consultant with the WHO regarding COVID-19 infection prevention and is a member of the Scientists Working Group on Biological and Chemical Security within the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Dr. Popescu has worked extensively in public health response and furthering its role within the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), serving as a signatory of the NGO statements. She has also served as a chair and member of committees within the National Academies of Science (NASEM), including the Workshop on the Utility, Feasibility, Security, and Ethics of Verifiable COVID-19 Credentials for International Travel and the Committee on Data Needs to Monitor Evolution of SARS-CoV-2.
