Anemone Franz
Projects
Research Direction: Genetic Engineering Attribution: Technology, Evidence, and Policy
Genetic Engineering Attribution: I am currently working on a research report on the governance of genetic engineering attribution (GEA) that maps existing evidentiary frameworks across criminal prosecution, diplomatic accountability, and public health response contexts, identifies governance gaps, and develops recommendations for closing them. The report generates a range of potential follow-on projects on both the technical side (e.g. mapping the state of attribution technology, identifying key capability bottlenecks) and the policy side (e.g. which governance frameworks need to be in place for GEA to function in practice, and which policy recommendations are most tractable and pressing).
I’m also open to considering other project ideas, if they’re well-scoped and related to my areas of expertise.
What I'm looking for in a Mentee
self-motivated and able to work independently
some previous research experience
some expertise in biosecurity or other relevant fields for this project (helpful, but not mandatory)
What I’m like as a Mentor
I usually have a weekly, 30-min virtual check-in with my mentee. Otherwise, we work asynchronously, usually on Google Docs. I'm available via email, Slack, or phone.
Bio
Anemone Franz is a visiting research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on biosafety and biosecurity.
Before joining AEI, Dr. Franz worked as a clinical trial physician at the biotech startup Alvea and as an adviser for the nonprofit 80,000 Hours. She was a 2024 fellow in the Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity program at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a 2025 International Mid-Career Biosecurity Fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks. She is also a member of the European Leadership Network.
Dr. Franz holds a master’s in public health policy from Harvard University and a doctorate in medicine from Julius-Maximilians University of Würzburg.
