Adriana Bankston, PhD, is an advocate for scientific research and innovation at the federal level. As the first-ever AAAS/ASGCT Congressional Policy Fellow, Adriana currently works to support sustained federal research funding in the U.S. House of Representatives. In recognition of her work to support the U.S. scientific enterprise, Adriana was awarded the inaugural ARIS Emerging Broader Impacts Leader Award, the Sigma Xi Mantel Next Generation Women’s Leadership Award, and the Top 20 in 2022 Award For Excellence in Advocacy from The Advocacy Association. Adriana earned her PhD in Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology from Emory University.

Colette Delawalla is the founder and Executive Director of Stand Up for Science, a grassroots non‑profit mobilizing scientists and allies to defend research integrity and federal science funding. A clinical psychology PhD candidate at Emory University, she co‑organized the March 7, 2025 “Stand Up for Science” rally, inspiring over 2,000 participants in Washington, D.C., and countless solidarity actions worldwide. Under her leadership, Stand Up for Science launched the “Summer Fight for Science,” hosting nationwide teach‑ins and demonstrations to counteract executive orders threatening science’s role in democracy. Delawalla combines academic excellence with activism, uniting communities to protect evidence‑based policy.

Alyssa (Allie) Sinclair is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, and will be starting at Rice University as an Assistant Professor next year. She is a cognitive neuroscientist and psychologist who studies learning and behavior change, applying these insights to behavioral interventions and mass communication campaigns. Allie, along with project co-lead Joshua Weitz, has led the development of SCIMaP, the Science and Community Impacts Mapping Project. SCIMaP aims to visualize and communicate the economic impact of cuts to research funding nationwide, and empower individuals and policymakers to take informed action.

Ellen Kuwana, MS, is an award-winning science writer and editor. She trained in neuroscience at UCSF and for more than 20 years she was part of biomedical research teams on federally funded projects at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute. She is a nationally recognized expert in science communications who has expertise in plain language and inclusive language. Ellen has written and edited more than 500 scientific articles and NIH grant proposals totaling more than $89 billion in awards/contracts. Ellen gives talks on science communication careers, AI tools, and writing manuscripts and grants. She runs her own freelance business, Kuwana Consulting LLC.

Kirsten “Dr. Kiki” Sanford is an American neurophysiologist turned science communicator renowned for her engaging storytelling and deep expertise. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology from UC Davis in December 2006 and holds a B.S. in Wildlife, Fisheries & Conservation Biology. In 1999 she co‑founded the weekly podcast This Week in Science, which she continues to host, bringing cutting‑edge research to broad audiences. She also serves as Executive Vice President of the Association of Science Communicators, where she champions inclusive, high-impact science storytelling. She has produced science content across radio, TV (including The Science Channel’s Brink), and podcasting, and awarded the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship in 2005.