Jaime Yassif

Jaime Yassif has a diverse and extensive work experience in the field of global biological policy and programs. Jaime currently holds the position of Vice President, Global Biological Policy & Programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative since April 2022. Prior to this, they were a Senior Director & Lead Scientist in the same organization from January 2022 to April 2022. From January 2019 to December 2021, they served as a Senior Fellow in Global Biological Policy and Programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

Between 2016 and 2018, Jaime worked at Open Philanthropy as a Program Officer for Biosecurity and Pandemic Preparedness. Jaime also worked as a Science and Technology Policy Advisor for East Asia Regional Security Affairs in the U.S. Department of Defense from February 2016 to April 2016.

From September 2013 to February 2016, Jaime held the position of Science and Technology Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs. Jaime'sresponsibilities included overseeing DoD Cooperative Threat Reduction programs and managing the implementation of a $360M annual budget.

Jaime's earlier work experience includes roles such as a WSD-Handa Nonresident Fellow at Pacific Forum CSIS from 2012 to 2015, an Action Officer at the Global Health Security Agenda Core Team in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2014, and a Program Manager at Connecting Organizations for Regional Disease Surveillance (CORDS) in 2013.

Prior to their policy and program roles, they also worked as a Graduate Biophysics Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley from September 2007 to December 2012, and as a Staff Research Associate II at the same institution from September 2006 to July 2007. Jaime completed their Masters in War Studies at King's College London from September 2005 to September 2006, where they focused on the technical means for verification of the Biological Weapons Convention.

Jaime Yassif holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Swarthmore College. Jaime then pursued a Master's degree in Science and Security, specializing in the War Studies Department at King's College London. Furthermore, Jaime obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley.