Ben Oppenheim, PhD is Senior Director at Ginkgo Bioworks, where he works in the biosecurity and public health unit. A social scientist by training, Oppenheim’s research interests include infectious disease risk, armed conflict, governance, rumors and misinformation, and development assistance. His work has been published in the Lancet, Nature Medicine, Journal of Development Studies, Journal of Conflict Resolution, among others.
Earlier in his career, he spent over a decade working with multilateral and non-governmental organizations on development policy and programs in fragile and conflict affected areas. Oppenheim serves as a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Peaceful Societies through Health Equity and Gender Equality. He received his Ph.D from the University of California, Berkeley, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and his B.A. from Wesleyan University.