Victoria Slaughter
Projects
Research Direction: Respiratory PPE research and advocacy
Our work aims to ensure effective respiratory protection is available for the full critical workforce at the outset of the next pandemic, and that resources to support the use of respiratory protection are widely available. While our work informs policy advocacy, projects for this fellowship would likely focus on PPE-specific research that supports our existing workflows.
Research to support our advocacy for respirator stockpiling and surge manufacturing capacity. This might look like: mapping the needs of the critical workforce, performing a landscape analysis on PPE manufacturing across sectors or regions, or synthesizing evidence on the cost-effectiveness of different approaches.
Scoping new technical leads. Examples include fit testing methodology or fit improvement tools (such as mask braces or coaching apps). Fellows might survey the existing literature, identify promising technologies or researchers, and produce a memo summarizing options and recommendations.
Fellows should expect to produce written deliverables, e.g. literature reviews and memos, that feed directly into our advocacy materials or support our grantmaking strategy.
What I'm looking for in a Mentee
I'm excited to work with someone who learns quickly and is comfortable starting with some uncertainty and iterating over time. Our work is multidisciplinary by nature and requires a balance of technical rigor and solid judgment. A strong candidate takes ownership of their own learning, is proactive about asking questions, and can clearly articulate their goals for the fellowship.
What I'm like as a Mentor
You will independently own your project, but I'm available to help set direction and provide guidance throughout. I'm flexible about working in whatever way is most helpful to you, whether that's structured weekly meetings, shorter and more frequent impromptu check-ins, and/or async feedback on written materials.
Bio
Victoria Slaughter is the PPE Director at Blueprint Biosecurity, where she works to develop and implement strategies that improve the availability of effective respiratory PPE in future outbreaks. She is a cell and molecular biologist by training with prior experience as an R&D scientist, focused on tissue engineering. Her background in emerging technologies drew her to biosecurity and the challenge of preparing for novel pandemics.
