Senior Program Officer, Global Biological Policy and Programs
Gabrielle Essix serves as a senior program officer for NTI’s Global Biological Policy and Programs team (NTI | bio). In this role, she assists efforts to increase global action on biological and health security through the Global Biosecurity Dialogue and the Global Health Security Index. She is also involved in cultivating the next generation of global biosecurity leaders by leading NTI’s annual Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition.
Prior to joining NTI, Essix was a project analyst and operations manager for the Science and Technology division of Merrick & Company, where she supported development, execution, and technical knowledge research related to laboratory operations and transition, biosafety, biosecurity, WMD non-proliferation, and health security for domestic and international projects with commercial and government clients.
She holds an M.S. in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases from Georgetown University, and a B.S. in Public Health from American University with a minor in Biochemistry. During her graduate program, Essix worked for Georgetown’s Center for Global Health Science and Security analyzing governments’ neglected tropical disease control programs.
Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) States Parties have a critical window of opportunity to take concrete steps toward enhancing transparency and building confidence in compliance with the norm against biological weapons development.
Delfina Hlashwayo’s journey into biosecurity and nonproliferation is a powerful example of how scientific passion, global collaboration, and youth leadership can converge to shape a safer world.
The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) entered into force 50 years ago, becoming the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban the production of an entire category of weapons. As the world marks this anniversary, we reflect on the BWC’s importance and outline a path forward to strengthen its effectiveness.
2025 marks 50 years of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). It faces significant challenges and there is an urgent need to modernize the BWC, ensuring it keeps pace with scientific developments and reinforces global biosecurity.
Strengthening international capabilities to uphold the norm against bioweapons development and use.
Fostering the Next Generation of Global Biosecurity Leaders
Reducing the risks of biological misuse and enhancing global security
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