Dr. Shailja Vaidya Gupta is the Chief Project Director, India-Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (IndCEPI) at theTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad since June 2022. Additionally, she is serving as an adjunct professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi. She has served in capacities as the Adviser to the Department of Biotechnology and Senior Adviser at the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. With over twenty-five years of service within the government sector, she has expertise spanning international cooperation, science policy & diplomacy, science outreach and communication.