Josephine Pepper

Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

Biography

I studied molecular and cellular biochemistry at the University of Oxford, where I completed a research masters thesis in cellular mechanisms for overcoming protein barriers in the DNA replication fork. For six years following this I trained and worked as a life science patent attorney, working with diverse biotechnologies with applications in immunology, agriculture and microbiology. This has informed my current research interests.

Research

I am currently undertaking a MPhil in Global Risk and Resillence. My research interests centre on the responsible and sustainable integration of engineered biotechnology into agriculture, with a particular focus on genetic engineering of crops and microbes. I also study the role of the patent system in governing these biotechnologies and their effective roll-out, with a focus on granular, case-by-case consideration of new technologies and their use context.