MOST Policy Initiative recently welcomed three new legislative science and technology policy fellows. The 2023-24 cohort is the fourth fellows cohort since the program launched in 2020-21. Legislative Policy Fellows serve as independent scientific advisors to the Missouri General Assembly. Fellows have published more than 245 Science Notes at the request of lawmakers since the program began.
Dr. Rieka Yu will serve as the Health and Mental Health Fellow. Rieka earned her B.A. in Biology from Boston University in 2018 and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) in 2021 and 2023. As a MOST fellow, Rieka is excited to foster her passion for science and community service, working with legislators to help all Missourians.
Dr. Madeleine Roberts will serve as the Social Determinants of Health Fellow. Madeleine earned her B.A. in Chemistry from Kalamazoo College in 2018 and her Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry with a minor in Life Sciences Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023. Madeleine looks forward to working with Missouri legislators, scientists, and citizens to bring the best science to the state.
Dr. Isabel Warner will serve as the Education and Workforce Fellow. Isabel earned her B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from UC Davis in 2015. She then worked as a virologist at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory (CAHFS) performing disease surveillance and outbreak response for livestock and poultry animals in the state of California. She chose to pursue her PhD in Microbiology at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where she used genomics to understand the fundamentals of bacterial survival in an effort to identify targets for the development of new antibiotics. As a MOST fellow, she is keen to support the legislature and broader community to help create a bright future for Missouri and its people.
The new fellows join returning fellow, Dr. Sarah Anderson, to cover a broad array of issues. For more information on our team of fellows and staff, including contact information for our interim executive directors and fellows, visit https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/about/staff/.