AAAS Statement on STPF Alumna Arati Prabhakar’s Nomination as Science Advisor and Head of OSTP

We applaud President Biden’s nomination of Arati Prabhakar, Ph.D., to serve as his science advisor and the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Dr. Prabhakar, who began her career as a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow, has the right combination of expertise, vision, and rapport to assume the top dual science position as the nation navigates public health challenges, climate change, emerging technologies, and other issues where science plays a critical role. Her previous leadership at DARPA, which led to pioneering work on RNA technology underlying COVID-19 vaccines, will be invaluable as ARPA-H applies the DARPA model to drive biomedical and health breakthroughs that will address diseases affecting a significant number of Americans. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, her historic appointment as the first woman and person of color to lead OSTP would bring an important voice to equity issues across the scientific enterprise.