Amy Becker - England

Amy Becker worked as a senior program associate for RiSci, the London- and New York-based Royal Institution World Science Assembly. In July, RiSci held a three-day global workshop in London to develop strategies for countering the impact of pandemic influenza—a pandemic experts say is inevitable, if not imminent. As a result of the workshop, RiSci is pursuing programs involving medical interventions, pandemic preparedness, surveillance, and communications. Becker helped develop those programs and assisted with the creation of a series of domestic and international policy briefings on pandemic flu. A highlight of the workshop for Becker was witnessing a process that could reduce the impact of global flu. “It was inspiring to see all these great minds talking about how to make a difference,” she says.