U.S. TRAINING TEAM

K. L. Akerlof

Dr. K. L. Akerlof is an associate professor in George Mason University’s Department of Environmental Science and Policy. Her research focuses on the intersection between governance and science and risk communication. She explores this nexus across three areas of study: 1) communication of science with policymakers; 2) public participation in decision-making; and 3) the use of social science within government programs. She leads a science communication concentration within the department’s master’s program and teaches courses on this topic as well as evidence-informed policymaking. She currently serves as an associate editor of the journal Evidence & Policy and a co-chair of the  International Network for Governmental Science Advice's Legislative Science Advice Community of Practice, and is a member of the editorial advisory board of the journal Science Communication.

Dr. Akerlof has collaborated with local, state, and federal government officials to develop research evidence that supports policy. In her courses at the university, students partner with state-level decision-makers on projects, developing skills in communicating research evidence on current policy issues. Akerlof was a 2016-2017 American Geophysical Union congressional fellow and served in a Senate office, assisting staff on an environmental portfolio. She earned her M.S. (2009) and Ph.D. (2012) in environmental science and policy.

Personal website | Science Policy Programs | Linkedin 

Tepring Piquado

Dr. Tepring Piquado is a seasoned policy researcher, government relations expert, and science advisor whose work bridges the worlds of science, technology, and public policy. She currently serves as CEO of the National Science Policy Network, where she leads efforts to connect early-career scientists with opportunities to inform evidence-based policymaking.

Dr. Piquado brings more than a decade of experience advising policymakers across California and the Western United States. She has served as a consultant, lobbyist, and government relations specialist, working with local, state, and federal officials—as well as nonprofit leaders—to translate research into actionable policy. She was a California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) Science Policy Fellow in the California Senate in 2012–2013, where she began her work at the intersection of science and policymaking.

As a trusted science advisor, she has contributed to the development of policy solutions on a range of complex issues, including housing policy, recycling and materials management, technology infrastructure, and public access to news. She has held senior roles including Chief Policy Director at the California Issues Forum and Senior Director of Government Relations for Western States at the Chamber of Progress. At RAND Corporation, she led research projects supporting evidence-based decisions at every level of government and taught ethics and policy design at the RAND Graduate School of Public Policy.

Dr. Piquado holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in neuroscience from Brandeis University and a B.S. in computer science from Georgetown University. Her research portfolio includes work on traumatic brain injury, emerging technologies, human-machine systems, DNA sequencing, and military and veteran workforce transitions. Her career reflects a deep commitment to integrating science into the policymaking process to improve public outcomes and promote equitable, data-driven governance.

Linkedin | National Science Policy Network

Henriette Canino

Dr. Henriette Canino is a science and technology researcher who uses behavioral science to predict what makes researchers successful at science communication for policy. She completed her Ph.D. at University College London’s Department for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Public Policy (STEaPP). As part of her research, she interviewed over 30 legislators, science advisors, and intermediaries, and designed and analyzed survey studies on science advice for policy with over 1,000 researchers and 160 federal and state legislators in Germany. She served on an expert panel on Open Science and Innovation and chaired expert-policymaker roundtables at the International Public Policy Observatory. She is providing science advice on the future of policy engagement to the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr. Canino has lectured on policy engagement for over five years at the Technical University Berlin. She was also invited for speaking engagements on science advice for policy at the Technical University Munich, the Goethe University Frankfurt, the University of Potsdam, Dark Horse Innovation, and the National Science Policy Network. She has won teaching and presentation awards at the University of California, Berkeley, the Technical University Berlin, and the European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and Innovation.

Dr. Canino's academic background is in Public Policy, she holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from the University of California, Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. Previously, she has worked on policy strategies around inclusive AI, in particular, on facial recognition and digital ID systems, implications of algorithmic bias, and sustainable innovation in the private sector (consulting for Google). She held research positions at the University of California, Berkeley's CITRIS Policy Lab, the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, UC San Diego, and the Fraunhofer Society, and gained practical policy experience at a U.S. Senator's office and the European Parliament.

Personal Website | Linkedin

Erin Heath

Erin Heath is the Director of Federal Relations at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. The Office of Government Relations provides timely, objective information on science and technology issues to lawmakers, and it assists scientists in understanding and getting involved in the policy process.

Erin leads the federal policy team at AAAS and is heavily involved in efforts to empower scientists and engineers to engage with policymakers, the media and the public. She co-chairs the Coalition for National Science Funding, the Engaging Scientists and Engineers in Policy Coalition, and the steering committee of the Golden Goose Award. She played a key role in the launch of the Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (EPI Center) at AAAS and serves on its internal advisory committee. She is also the inaugural chair of the Governing Board of the Journal of Science Policy and Governance.

Before joining AAAS, Erin worked for the American Institute of Biological Sciences, where she led the organization’s media training and outreach efforts and cut her teeth on science policy. Erin holds a Master of Science with Merit in Public Policy and Administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science. While in London, she served as a research assistant in Parliament. Prior to graduate school, she spent years as a journalist in Washington, most notably as a science policy reporter and columnist for the National Journal. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Maryland.

Linkedin

Sean Gallagher

Sean Gallagher will be moderating the congressional panel on July 30th during the summer 2025 U.S. training. Sean joined AAAS as a Senior Government Relations Officer in March 2015. He handles a wide range of policy issues and focuses on engaging and encouraging scientists to demonstrate their value to their peers, the media and policy makers. He spearheads grassroots efforts and serves as a liaison to congress and the executive branch. 

Prior to joining AAAS Sean spent over 7 years on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide to five Members of Congress, helping represent districts in Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, California, and most recently was a policy advisor to Representative Rush Holt from central New Jersey. Sean specialized in science and technology issues, and also has experience in military and veterans affairs as well health care reform.  Sean has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University and received his Bachelor’s in Political Science from Villanova University.

Linkedin