Armed Services Committees Leadership Announces Chair and Vice Chair Selections for National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology

Today, the bipartisan leadership of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and U.S. Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA) and Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), announced the full roster of commissioners, including selections for Chair and Vice Chair, to the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, pursuant to Sec. 1091 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22).

The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology will conduct a thorough review of how advancements in emerging biotechnology and related technologies will shape current and future activities of the Department of Defense. The Commission will provide an interim report to the President and the Armed Services Committees within one year and submit a final, unclassified report within two years, including recommendations for action by Congress and the federal government.

Twelve appointed members will make up the Commission, including two members appointed by the SASC Chairman, one Member of the Senate and one not; two members appointed by the SASC Ranking Member, one Member of the Senate and one not; two members appointed by the HASC Chairman, one Member of the House and one not; two members appointed by the HASC Ranking Member, one Member of the House and one not; and one member each appointed by the Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader, respectively.

Dr. Jason Kelly of Ginkgo BioWorks was selected to serve as the Chair of the Commission. He is the co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks. Ginkgo is a synthetic biology company headquartered in Boston, MA that programs cells for customers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and energy industries. Prior to Ginkgo, Jason received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and a PhD in Biological Engineering, all from MIT.

Dr. Michelle Rozo was selected to serve as the Vice Chair of the Commission. She was previously Director of Technology and National Security at the National Security Council, where she advised the President and the National Security Advisor on biotechnology and national security policy, and coordinated the development of the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative. Prior to her work at the National Security Council, Dr. Rozo held a number of roles at the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of State, and U.S. Senate, including Principal Director for Biotechnology within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering, where she oversaw biotechnology research and development activities across the DoD enterprise. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Johns Hopkins University.

The complete list of appointed commissioners includes the following:

• Dr. Jason Kelly (Chair)
• Dr. Michelle Rozo (Vice Chair)
• Mr. Paul Arcangeli
• Representative Stephanie Bice (OK-5th)
• Dr. Angela Belcher
• Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17th)
• Ms. Dawn Meyerriecks
• Senator Alex Padilla (CA)
• Dr. Eric Schmidt
• Dr. Alexander Titus
• Senator Todd Young (IN)
• Dr. Dov Zakheim

Click here to read the full text of Sec. 1091 in S. 1605, the FY22 NDAA.