Allison Chamberlain

After graduating in May 2004 with a degree in Human Biology, I moved to Washington, DC to intern with the American Association for the Advancement for Science (AAAS).  Having become very interested in the intersection of science and society through my experiences in bioethics courses, the Bioethics Society and my interdisciplinary Human Bio major at UVA, I joined AAAS in their Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law division (SFRL).  While at the SFRL internship, I was able to attend meetings of the President's Council on Bioethics, the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society and a number of congressional briefings related to science and technology.  I wrote articles for SFRL's quarterly newsletter, Professional Ethics Report , on topics ranging from direct-to-consumer marketing of genetic tests to the NIH ban on private consulting.  After my internship, I moved to my current job at the National Institutes of Health within the Office of Biotechnology Activities.  I act as program assistant for the new National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB)---an advisory board to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues surrounding the oversight of dual-use research in the life sciences.  In addition to learning how Federal Advisory Committees get established, I have been involved in projects analyzing the need for genetic anti-discrimination laws, the feasibility of a code of conduct for the life sciences, and the activities in the international arena regarding the regulation of dual-use biomedical research.   In wanting to continue my education in science policy with a focus on the regulation of dual-use research, I will begin an M.S. program in Biomedical Science Policy and Advocacy at Georgetown University in Fall 2005.