Dana Perkins is a Senior Science Advisor with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she provides subject matter expertise, inter-agency coordination, and senior level policy advice on the biodefense, biosafety, biosecurity, and public health aspects of national and international emergency preparedness and response. She is responsible for the data collection and reporting on Biological Weapons Convention Confidence Building Measures for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Perkins coordinates (with the U.S. Department of Agriculture) the International Working Group on Strengthening the Culture of Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Responsible Conduct in the Life Sciences.
She received her PhD in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics in 2002 from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she specialized in Microbiology/Neurovirology. She also holds a M.Sc. degree in Biochemistry/Immunology from the University of Bucharest, Romania, where she worked on Influenza antivirals. She has work experience in clinical, research, and industrial microbiology, and published over 50 articles and book chapters. She previously served as a contractor supporting the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Biological Weapons Proliferation Prevention Program, U.S.-Russia Cooperative Biological Research Program, as an Export Control Officer with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and in a U.S. Government-seconded position as a member of the Group of Experts supporting the UN Security Council 1540 Committee (established pursuant to UN Security Council resolution 1540).