About Me

Dr. Aparupa Sengupta is an accomplished scientist, global health security practitioner, and global bioscience and technology policy expert (with an emphasis on US and South Asia policy). She currently serves as a Senior Program Officer for NTI’s Global Biological Policy and Programs team (NTI | bio). In this role, she leads the Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative (BIRRI) portfolio, which works on preventing biotech catastrophe at the tech-life science intersection (such as, AI-bio covergence).

 

Prior to joining NTI , she served at the University of California (Merced campus) first, as the campus biosafety-biosecurity officer and then as the Assistant Director for Environmental Health and Safety and Director of High Containment Research Laboratories. From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as the COVID-19 response SME at the institution’s Emergency Operation Center. In recognition of her outstanding service during the pandemic, she was presented with the COVID-19 Hero award by the chancellor.

 

Dr. Sengupta is an active member of American Biological Safety International (ABSA Int.), where she plays key leadership roles in multiple committees. She also teaches courses (in multiple scientific conferences) in the field of cutting edge biotechnology and other emerging technologies, their benefits to the society and strategies to minimize their risks. She is a highly sought after speaker and has been invited to give many talks in the U.S. and outside advocating for the safe and responsible scientific innovation, and AI-biotech risk/benefit landscape.

​

Dr. Sengupta holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Applied Biochemistry and M.S. in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology from Michigan Technological University and a M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Bangalore University, India. Sengupta is also a Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) with ABSA International.