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Adriana Bankston is a federal government relations expert, and scientific research and innovation advocate.

For close to a decade, Adriana worked to support U.S. scientific research and innovation through government relations and advocacy roles in research universities, non-profits, and scientific societies. Adriana’s work seeks to drive policy change at the intersection of academic research, higher education, and STEM workforce development.

At the non-profit STEM Advocacy Institute, she established a biomedical research, training and advocacy initiative to advance the STEM workforce. Previously, Adriana was a Principal Legislative Analyst at the University of California Office of Federal Governmental Relations, where she advocated for UC’s federal research priorities with Congress, the Administration, and federal agencies. In this role, she drafted a STEM pipeline amendment to support postdoctoral researchers, which was included in the CHIPS and Science Act.

Prior to this position, Adriana was a Policy & Advocacy Fellow at the Society for Neuroscience, advocating for neuroscience research funding and contributing to SfN’s Hill Day. While at the non-profit Future of Research, she championed policies supporting early career researchers and their future in STEM, including increased postdoctoral salaries and broader systemic reforms in academia.

The Science Coalition Champions of Science Reception Sept 13, 2022

To enhance her expertise in research advocacy, she recently served as an ASGCT-AAAS Congressional Policy Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives, working for a Member of Congress on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, R&D Caucus, and National Labs Caucus.

Prior to her Congressional service, she continued to support scientific research and innovation as a Senior Fellow with the Federation of American Scientists and Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society. Additionally, Adriana developed and led educational initiatives including URA’s Science Policy and Advocacy for Research Competition (SPARC) to provide trainees with advocacy skills.

Adriana’s insights on federal research funding, STEM workforce development, and academic systemic change have appeared in multiple national outlets including Rescuing Biomedical Research, Inside Higher Ed, and Issues in Science & Technology. Additionally, she published several scholarly articles calling for enhanced STEM research training and mentoring, and increased postdoctoral salaries. Currently, she is writing a book with UC Press to illuminate the national impact of scientific research through effective advocacy.

A frequent speaker and leader in research advocacy, she has given numerous talks and workshops in universities, and at broader venues such as the NAGPS Advocacy Summit and Legislative Action Days, and the AAAS ERN Conference. She led projects focused on university research and STEM workforce development, and held leadership positions in several national research organizations, including The Science Coalition, Advancing Research Impacts in Society, AAAS Section X Steering Group, and as an Associate Member on the ASCB Public Policy Committee.

Her research advocacy work was recognized with honors and awards for excellence in advocacy, broader impacts, service and leadership in the research enterprise. Adriana earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology from Emory University. Connect with Adriana on Twitter, BlueSky and LinkedIn.