Adriana Bankston

Principal Legislative Analyst

Adriana Bankston joined UC’s Office of Federal Governmental Relations (FGR) in July 2019, bringing with her an extensive background in applied research as well as research advocacy. Prior to joining FGR she was a policy and advocacy fellow at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), where she planned, coordinated and implemented the society’s federal advocacy efforts, including their 2019 Capitol Hill Day.

Adriana received her B.S. in biological sciences from Clemson University and her Ph.D. in biochemistry, cell and developmental biology from Emory University.

As part of the UC Federal Governmental Relations research team, Adriana is responsible for tracking and analyzing issues related to:

  • Animal research
  • Cannabis research (in coordination with the health and clinical affairs team)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (specifically National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
  • National Institutes of Health (in coordination with the health and clinical affairs team)
  • National Science Board
  • National Science Foundation
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
In addition to working at UC, Adriana serves as the chief executive officer and managing publisher for the Journal of Science Policy and Governance (JSPG), and is a biomedical workforce and policy research investigator with the STEM advocacy institute (SAi). Adriana is also a member of Women in Government Relations (WGR) in Washington, D.C. Adriana’s policy research has been published in eLife, Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education and PeerJ Preprints, among others.