Steph Batalis is a Research Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Her research examines a number of issues at the intersection of AI and the life sciences, including how emerging technologies will impact both biomedical innovation and U.S. biosecurity. Before joining CSET, Steph was the STEM Policy Fellow at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center where she focused on economic and workforce development initiatives in North Carolina’s life sciences ecosystem. Steph earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a focus in Structural and Computational Biophysics from Wake Forest University’s School of Medicine and a B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Vanderbilt University.
Related Content
Large Language Models in Biology
June 2023Steph Batalis, Caroline Schuerger and Vikram Venkatram explore three notable areas in the life sciences where LLMs are catalyzing meaningful advances: drug discovery, genetics, and precision medicine. Read More
Vaccines keep the U.S. public healthy while safeguarding economic stability and biosecurity. This report assesses the domestic vaccine manufacturing landscape and identifies two major vulnerabilities: a reliance on foreign manufacturers and a lack of manufacturing… Read More
Pandemic threats are increasing as globalization, urbanization, and encroachment on animal habitats cause infectious outbreaks to become more frequent and severe. It is imperative that the United States build a pipeline of medical countermeasure development,… Read More
CSET's Dr. Caroline Schuerger, Dr. Steph Batalis, and Vikram Venkatram submitted this comment with recommendations for the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative. Read More
Formal Response
RFI Response: Safety Considerations for Chemical and/or Biological AI Models
December 2024Dr. Steph Batalis and Vikram Venkatram offered the following comment in response to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's request for information on safety considerations for chemical and biological AI models. Read More
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools pose exciting possibilities to advance scientific, biomedical, and public health research. At the same time, these tools have raised concerns about their potential to contribute to biological threats, like those from… Read More
180 Days After the Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence: What Comes Next for Biotech?
July 2024Now that the first set of milestones has passed for the Biden administration’s October 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence, where do things stand for biotech? This blog post gives an overview of the most… Read More
Recent government directives, international conferences, and media headlines reflect growing concern that artificial intelligence could exacerbate biological threats. When it comes to biorisk, AI tools are cited as enablers that lower information barriers, enhance novel… Read More
The recent Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence will have major implications for biotechnology. The EO demonstrates that the White House considers biorisk… Read More
Can Chatbots Help You Build a Bioweapon?
November 2023In an op-ed published in Foreign Policy, CSET’s Steph Batalis discusses the potential misuse of artificial intelligence chatbots in providing instructions for the construction of biological weapons. Read More
CSET submitted the following comment in response to a Request for Information (RFI) from the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy about potential changes to the Policies for Federal and Institutional Oversight of… Read More
Gain-of-Function Risk Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
September 2023In their op-ed featured in Think Global Health, CSET's Steph Batalis and Caroline Schuerger provide expert analysis on the ongoing debate in the United States regarding gain-of-function (GOF) research. Read More
Gain- and loss-of-function research have contributed to breakthroughs in vaccine development, genetic research, and gene therapy. At the same time, a subset of gain- and loss-of-function studies involve high-risk, highly virulent pathogens that could spread… Read More
Large Language Models in Biology
June 2023Steph Batalis, Caroline Schuerger and Vikram Venkatram explore three notable areas in the life sciences where LLMs are catalyzing meaningful advances: drug discovery, genetics, and precision medicine. Read More
Vaccines keep the U.S. public healthy while safeguarding economic stability and biosecurity. This report assesses the domestic vaccine manufacturing landscape and identifies two major vulnerabilities: a reliance on foreign manufacturers and a lack of manufacturing… Read More
Pandemic threats are increasing as globalization, urbanization, and encroachment on animal habitats cause infectious outbreaks to become more frequent and severe. It is imperative that the United States build a pipeline of medical countermeasure development,… Read More
CSET's Dr. Caroline Schuerger, Dr. Steph Batalis, and Vikram Venkatram submitted this comment with recommendations for the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative. Read More
Formal Response
RFI Response: Safety Considerations for Chemical and/or Biological AI Models
December 2024Dr. Steph Batalis and Vikram Venkatram offered the following comment in response to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's request for information on safety considerations for chemical and biological AI models. Read More
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools pose exciting possibilities to advance scientific, biomedical, and public health research. At the same time, these tools have raised concerns about their potential to contribute to biological threats, like those from… Read More
180 Days After the Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence: What Comes Next for Biotech?
July 2024Now that the first set of milestones has passed for the Biden administration’s October 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence, where do things stand for biotech? This blog post gives an overview of the most… Read More
Recent government directives, international conferences, and media headlines reflect growing concern that artificial intelligence could exacerbate biological threats. When it comes to biorisk, AI tools are cited as enablers that lower information barriers, enhance novel… Read More
The recent Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence will have major implications for biotechnology. The EO demonstrates that the White House considers biorisk… Read More
Can Chatbots Help You Build a Bioweapon?
November 2023In an op-ed published in Foreign Policy, CSET’s Steph Batalis discusses the potential misuse of artificial intelligence chatbots in providing instructions for the construction of biological weapons. Read More
CSET submitted the following comment in response to a Request for Information (RFI) from the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy about potential changes to the Policies for Federal and Institutional Oversight of… Read More
Gain-of-Function Risk Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
September 2023In their op-ed featured in Think Global Health, CSET's Steph Batalis and Caroline Schuerger provide expert analysis on the ongoing debate in the United States regarding gain-of-function (GOF) research. Read More
Gain- and loss-of-function research have contributed to breakthroughs in vaccine development, genetic research, and gene therapy. At the same time, a subset of gain- and loss-of-function studies involve high-risk, highly virulent pathogens that could spread… Read More
Large Language Models in Biology
June 2023Steph Batalis, Caroline Schuerger and Vikram Venkatram explore three notable areas in the life sciences where LLMs are catalyzing meaningful advances: drug discovery, genetics, and precision medicine. Read More
Vaccines keep the U.S. public healthy while safeguarding economic stability and biosecurity. This report assesses the domestic vaccine manufacturing landscape and identifies two major vulnerabilities: a reliance on foreign manufacturers and a lack of manufacturing… Read More
Pandemic threats are increasing as globalization, urbanization, and encroachment on animal habitats cause infectious outbreaks to become more frequent and severe. It is imperative that the United States build a pipeline of medical countermeasure development,… Read More
CSET's Dr. Caroline Schuerger, Dr. Steph Batalis, and Vikram Venkatram submitted this comment with recommendations for the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative. Read More