Biography
Dr. Joshua Porterfield
AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow
National Nanotechnology Coordination Office
Class of 2022–2023
Dr. Joshua Porterfield has a Ph.D. in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where he studied pre-clinical nanomedicine platforms for the treatment of central nervous system and hepatic disorders. Most recently, he worked for the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence, or GovEx, and the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, using his scientific experience to translate complex public health data for public understanding. He managed the Coronavirus Resource Center's Pandemic Data Outlook blog, explaining complications and developments in public health data in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; performed weekly subject matter expert Q&As to highlight diverse opinions in the field of data policy; and assembled bimonthly public forums with participants across academia, the press and all levels of government to discuss data policy issues. He has also significantly contributed to the development of the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance Explorer, which provides data on a multitude of quality-of-life metrics, enabling city leaders around the world to make data-driven decisions and policies.
Outside of the office, Porterfield is an avid traveler — although that has been stymied by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He also has a deep passion for film, having served as the president of the Cornell Cinema Student Advisory Board during his undergraduate studies, and still hosts and caters an Academy Awards party each spring. His love of cooking and experiencing other cultures through their cuisines rounds out his belief that he would follow in the footsteps of Anthony Bourdain, if he weren’t of better service in the science policy realm.