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AI Innovation for Early Warnings for All: Bridging gaps, saving lives, 9 July 2025, Geneva, Switzerland-List of speakers

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Opening Remarks, Closing Remarks, and Moderator
Dr Archana G. Gulati, Deputy to the Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), ITU Opening remarks	Dr Archana G. Gulati is Deputy to the Director of the ITU’s Development Bureau. With over 34 years of experience in policy making and regulation, she specialises in universal service, digital transformation, regulation of frontier technologies and competition regulation. Her journey began as an Indian Civil Services officer (1989 batch), and she continued to excel in her field after taking voluntary retirement in 2021. Her career milestones include serving as the Director, Public Affairs and Policy at Google, India, until October 2022. Dr Gulati’s academic journey is marked by her pursuit of excellence. She holds a BA Honours in Economics from Lady Sri Ram College, University of Delhi, an LLM (Telecom & IT law) from the University of Strathclyde, UK, and a PhD. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Her various posts in the Indian government include Advisor (Digital Communications) at the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), Senior Deputy Director General / Officer on Special Duty to the Chairperson of the Telecom Commission of India, and Advisor and Head of the Combinations (M&A) Division at the Competition Commission of India. She has also held the position of Financial Advisor to the National Disaster Management Authority of India. Prior to joining the ITU, she was a professor of digital regulation at leading public policy and business schools in India. She has also previously served as an expert with the International Telecommunications Union.
Ms Ko Barrett, Deputy Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Opening remarks	Ms Ko Barrett was appointed as WMO Deputy Secretary-General in January 2024 and began her mandate on 1 April 2024. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Barrett served as the Senior Advisor for Climate at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In this role, she provided strategic advice and direction within NOAA to enable the Agency to align, integrate, and extend its capabilities to best provide the climate services needed to address the climate challenge. She represented NOAA’s interests in government-wide efforts to transform the economy and achieve US climate goals to reduce emissions and stabilize global temperature by mid-century. In 2015, Ko Barrett was one of the first women elected to serve as Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a role she held until July 2023. As Vice-chair, Ms. Barrett utilized her talent for facilitating consensus to advance the organization’s work. She championed the Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere, chaired the Gender Action Team, and led the Science Board for the Scholarship Program for scientists from developing countries. Her quotes on climate change and its impacts were featured in thousands of articles worldwide. For over 15 years, she represented the United States in delegations responsible for negotiating and adopting climate science and policy outcomes. In addition to her work with the IPCC, she served as a lead negotiator on adaptation and capacity building issues for the United States in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Ko Barrett is widely recognized as an expert on climate science and policy, particularly on issues related to climate impacts and strategies to help society adapt to a changing world. Ms Barrett joined the Senior Executive Service in 2016. She served as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for NOAA’s Research Programs for five years, following various leadership positions in its Climate Program Office for over a decade. Before joining NOAA in 2005, Ms. Barrett was the Director of the Global Climate Change Program at the US Agency for International Development, where she oversaw climate activities in more than 40 countries. Ms Barrett has won multiple awards for her contributions to NOAA, the nation and our planet. These include the NOAA Administrator’s Awards in 2010 and 2015, the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Award for Leadership in 2021, and the U.S. Department of State Meritorious Honor Award in 2011. She also shared a Nobel Peace Prize with members of the IPCC in 2007. In 2017, Ms. Barrett was the commencement speaker and received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of North Carolina - Asheville. In 2021, she received a Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the federal career civil service. Most recently, in 2022, the Global Landscape Forum included Ms. Barrett on its list of 16 Women Restoring the Earth. Ms Barrett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina – Asheville. There, she was named a University Scholar, Distinguished Research Scholar, and was elected a member of the Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.
Ms Vanessa Gray, Head, Climate and Emergency Telecommunication Division, BDT, ITU Closing remarks	Ms Vanessa Gray is the Head of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau's (BDT) Division on Climate Change and Emergency Telecommunications. She is responsible for developing and overseeing projects and technical assistance on disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. This includes the development of national emergency telecommunication plans (NETPs) and the organization of regional and national workshops and capacity building exercises for disaster management. In the area of disaster response, Ms Gray leads the work on the Disaster Connectivity Maps (DCM) and the deployment of emergency telecommunication equipment to countries hit by disasters. Ms Gray is the ITU focal point for the UN's Early Warning for All (EW4all) initiative and coordinates the initiative's pillar on Warning Dissemination and Communication, to ensure that alerts reach people at risk. She is also responsible for the organization of the Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunication (GET) and specific ICT for disaster management tools and publications, for example in the area of disruptive technologies, gender, and ICT drills. In the area of the environment, Ms Gray coordinates the BDT's work on the circular economy and green digital transformation, which includes monitoring industry emissions, energy use and climate commitments from tech companies, and supporting countries in tracking ICT sector GHG emissions. In the area of circular economy, Ms Gray manages the work on e-waste policies and data, which includes the publication of the Global and Regional E-waste Monitors. Her role is to build public-private partnerships, develop projects and strengthen the role of the BDT in terms of e-waste coordination, for example with the E-waste Coalition, the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership, and with the private sector. Prior to this position, Ms Gray was part of the ITU's Data and Statistics Division and contributed to the design and preparation of the Division's analytical publications, including the Measuring the Information Society Report (MISR). She also contributed to and coordinated the analysis of information society developments, organized ICT-related meetings, and delivered national and regional trainings and workshops on ICT statistics to ITU member states. Ms Gray holds a Master's degree in Political Science and Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.
Mr Newton Campbell Jr. (Event moderator) Computer Scientist, AI Subject-Matter Expert for EW4All, ITU Moderator	Dr Newton Campbell Jr. is a leading expert in applying artificial intelligence to global challenges. He currently serves as an AI Subject-Matter Expert for the UN’s ITU “Early Warning for All” program and as a Senior AI Researcher with the NASA OCIO. His research has focusedon geospatial AI for disaster alerts, urban airmobility, geomagnetics modeling, multiomicsanalysis for space radiation, AI for space exploration, virtual reality, and high-performance computing. With 18 years of experience across the NASA (8 years) and Defense (10 years) ecosystems, Dr. Campbell has a proven track record of leading high-impact initiatives. From 2021-2024, he led programs with the Environmental Defense Fund, using OSINT and network analysis to uncover how environmental policy shifts connect to professional ecosystems—informing advocacy and regulation. As the inaugural Space Director for the Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth Consortium (2022–2024), he oversaw the development of lunar-rover, remote-operations, and climate mitigation technologies to accelerate the growth of Australia’s space industry. In 2024, Dr. Campbell became the youngest member of the Board of Directors for The Planetary Society and co-founded the non-profit Heritage Space Food, which was awarded NASA’s Space Tech Catalyst Prize for its work integrating culture and exploration through gastrodiplomacy. He is a recognized 2020 Young Leader by both the French-American Foundation (FAF) and the Australian-American Leadership Dialogue (AALD). Dr. Campbell is a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensics & GeoTechLab, a Technology Fellow at American University’s Washington College of Law, and an advisor at UC Boulder Law’s Silicon Flatirons, with a focus on AI ethics, sustainability, and the space sector. He is currently incubating Climate Links, a trans-Atlantic consortium using OSINT and AI to solve the “last mile” of sustainability and realizing SDG 17. He earned his PhD in Computer Science (machine learning & applied mathematics) from Nova Southeastern University in 2016.

Session 1: Gaps and Country Pilot Showcases from the EW4All AI Sub-Group
Ms Erica Allis, Senior Programme Manager, WMO
Ms Loretta Hieber-Girardet, Chief, Risk Knowledge, Monitoring and Capacity-Development Branch, UNDRR	Loretta Hieber Girardet is the Chief of the Risk Knowledge, Monitoring and Capacity Development Branch covering risk information and analytics, climate change, disaster loss and monitoring data and capacity-building for UNDRR globally.  Previously, she served as Chief of the UNDRR Asia-Pacific regional office, covering 38 of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.  Loretta served in various management positions at OCHA for over a decade before joining UNDRR, including overseeing the global Cluster coordination mechanism and having responsibility for IASC mechanisms on coordinated humanitarian needs assessments. She also has a background in public health and worked for the World Health Organization in various capacities, including in emergency contexts in Afghanistan, Pakistan and sub-Saharan Africa.  Her experience in emergency contexts spans more than 25 years and she is the author of several publications including Lifeline Media: Reaching Populations in Crises which promotes greater accountability to people affected by disasters. Her academic background includes fellowships and degrees from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Paris-Assas.
Mr Justin Ginnetti, Senior Officer, Information Management and Risk Analysis, IFRC
Ms Sara Ballan, Senior Digital Development Specialist, Co-lead Green Digital Business Line, World Bank	Sara Ballan Leads the Green Digital Business Line in the World Bank, Digital Transformation Vice Presidency. She helps countries expand digital access through resource efficient digital investments, as well as effective use of digital technologies for green use cases. Sara is based in Washington DC after calling Kenya home for several years. Sara joined the Bank from an AI powered start up and has held innovation focused roles in the public and private sector.
Dr Sara Venturini, Chief of Member Services, Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat	Dr Sara Venturini leads GEO’s global engagement strategy with its Members, advancing the use of Earth Intelligence—the integration of Earth observation, AI, and emerging technologies coupled with social and economic data—for informed decision-making on environment and sustainable development. Based at the GEO Secretariat, hosted by the WMO in Geneva, she drives strategic collaboration with governments, regional partners, and public donors to align national priorities with GEO’s mission and maximise global impact. With over 15 years of experience at the nexus of science, policy, and diplomacy, Sara has advised UN agencies and governments across multiple regions. She holds a PhD in Climate Change Science and Management from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
Mr Andro Kortis, Product Lead, Data Insights for Social and Humanitarian Action (DISHA), UN Global Pulse	Andro is DISHA’s product lead, with over 15 years of experience delivering innovative, ethically grounded digital solutions across global markets. Specializing in digital identity, AI/ML governance, and emerging technologies, he combines purposeful innovation with a strong commitment to privacy, inclusion, and impact. He has led cross-functional teams and initiatives at Mastercard, the World Bank, Vodafone, and other international organizations – shaping products and policies across financial services, healthcare, agriculture, logistics, and the public sector. He is passionate about building scalable, trustworthy ecosystems where technology serves people—especially at the intersection of social impact and artificial intelligence.
Ms Gabriella Crimi, Senior Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Company	Gabriella is a Senior Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, where she leads digital and AI transformations across both public and private sectors. She has extensive digital strategy, product, and responsible AI experience. At McKinsey, Gabriella advises governments, corporations, foundations, and non-profits on large-scale change programs, capability building, and transformation strategy. Driven by a deep commitment to social impact, Gabriella holds an MPhil in International Development from the University of Oxford—a path inspired by her early experiences in community and global development.
Dr David Pastor-Escuredo, CNRS and UCSD	Dr. David Pastor-Escuredo is a Ph.D. from UPM in Artificial Intelligence and Complex Systems working with CNRS and UCSD. He did his postdoc at CNRS. He was a data-driven sustainability pioneer working with several United Nations agencies and BID. He has worked as advisor of UN Global Pulse Jakarta and also as lead data scientist for UNICEF and UNHCR. He led the digital innovation ecosystem at UPM for itdUPM working with Climate-KIC and MIT. Currently, he leads Digital Innovation and AI projects at UCL and UPM. He is an expert of the ITU’s Early Warning for All and U4SSC initiatives. Also, he is a fellow of the EIT Health of the Catalyst Europe and SCIFI programmes. He owns LifeD Lab where he designs innovations for a sustainable future. He is also a fellow of the CEO Academy of UCAM HiTech.

Session 2: Finalists from the AI for EW4All Innovation Challenge
Ms Erika Gutierrez, Artificial Intelligence and Mapping Specialist, UNOSAT
Ms Margherita Philipp, Data Scientist, EconAI research group, Fundació d'Economia Analítica (FEA)	Margherita Philipp is a data scientist at EconAI, a research group based in Barcelona. She graduated with an MSc in Data Science from the Barcelona School of Economics (BSE) where she wrote her thesis on predicting conflict with the help of text-based data. She is currently exploring ways of nowcasting and forecasting institutional disruption and electoral violence. She has a background in philosophy, politics, and economics and has worked as a monitoring and evaluation consultant on a wide range of projects in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Mr Matteo Peduto, MIT Earth Intelligence Lab
Ms Esraa Elgadi, Project Manager, Resurgence	Trained in architecture (University of Khartoum) and project management (Ahfad University for Women), Esraa specialises in disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate resilience, and community-led adaptation. She served as Sudan’s Transport Sector Lead for the 2020 Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (World Bank/UNDP) and led a heritage-based, community-driven climate resilience research project on Tuti Island, Sudan (2022-23). Esraa currently manages the DARAJA Sudan Emergency Forecasting and Early Warning Service program, which delivers actionable weather forecasts to vulnerable and conflict-affected communities - empowering 48 million people in Sudan, including farmers and internally displaced persons (IDPs), to navigate extreme weather and compound crises.
Ms Omnia Shawkat, Founder, Andariya	Ms Omnia Abbas Shawkat is the founder of Andariya, with 17+ years of experience leading environmental, cultural and humanitarian projects and platforms across the East and Horn of Africa, the MENA region, and the U.S. She has established cultural, environmental and humanitarian digital strategies and platforms, integrating AI tools for content production, analysis and dissemination.
Ms Dilupa Nanayakkara, Communications and Marketing Lead, Resurgence	Dilupa is a strategic communications and marketing leader with over 20 years of experience across global media, climate resilience, and international development. With a background that includes senior roles at Bauer Media and News UK, she has been involved in high-impact campaigns for top-tier brands such as P&G, Coca-Cola, and Unilever. Now focused on climate action, she serves as Communications and Marketing Lead at Resurgence, where she has helped elevate the award-winning DARAJA early warning initiative. Her work spans multimedia storytelling, global conference engagement (COP26–COP29), and co-authorship for climate resilience publications including for the Global Center on Adaptation. At Resurgence, Dilupa has co-produced over 15 climate-focused videos and digital campaigns that have boosted global engagement and helped secure international recognition, including the 2024 World Habitat Award. She brings a combination of corporate strategy and grassroots impact, blending data-driven marketing, creative storytelling, and stakeholder collaboration.
Mr Scott Williams, Disaster Risk Management Expert & Resurgence Board Member	Scott is a seasoned expert in disaster risk management and a passionate advocate for systemic change. A runner and poet at heart, Scott brings a unique blend of analytical rigor and creative insight to his work, often focused on fostering mutual learning and opening up spaces for transformative thinking. He serves as an advisor to a range of global initiatives and institutions, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). His current advisory roles span the High-Level Dialogue on Energy, the High-Level Initiative on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond, the G20 Sustainable Finance Study Group, and the UN’s Global Risk Assessment Framework (GRAF). He also contributes to the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR), helping to deepen understanding of the systemic nature of risk in a rapidly changing world. Previously, Scott spent two decades at PwC, where he held leadership roles including Director of the Disaster Risk Management Practice, Sustainability and Climate Change Practice Leader for PwC Japan, and member of PwC’s Global Sustainability Governance Board.
Dr Andreas Vallgren, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer, Ignitia	Dr Andreas Vallgren is a Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at Ignitia, where he has led scientific R&D since 2011. His work focuses on developing cutting-edge innovations to improve climate resilience for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Under his leadership, Ignitia has closed the performance gap of weather forecasting in regions where traditional global models underperform, and has enabled real-time extreme weather alerts to reach even remote rural communities — boosting agricultural outcomes and decision-making in the process. Dr Vallgren holds a PhD in Fluid Mechanics from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm. He also earned a Master of Science in Meteorology from Uppsala University, and a Master’s in Space Engineering from Luleå University of Technology, with part of his studies completed at Monash University in Australia. Additionally, he holds a graduate certificate in Applied Science from the University of South Australia through the International Space University (ISU) Summer Session Program. During his doctoral years, he was also a frequent weather presenter on Swedish national television (SVT).
Ms Theresa Fehle, Strategic Partnership Manager, Ignitia	Ms Theresa Fehle is Chief of Staff at Ignitia, where she drives strategic growth, partnerships, and impact initiatives to make accurate weather data accessible to underserved communities across emerging markets. With European roots and a global footprint spanning six countries, Theresa combines her expertise in climate and agritech with a passion for innovation, venture capital, and sustainable development. She holds a Master of Science in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Nova School of Business and Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, with a focus on Finance.
Mr Francesco Carnielli, Technical Director, Ignitia	Mr Francesco Carnielli is Technical Director at Ignitia, where he leads technology strategy and innovation to deliver hyper-local weather forecasting for smallholder farmers in emerging markets. Prior to Ignitia, Francesco was a founding employee at Everli - a leading online grocery marketplace - where he helped scale the company’s engineering teams and platform through multiple growth stages from early startup to Series D, operating in over 135 cities across Europe.  Francesco holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Università degli Studi di Verona and is passionate about building impactful, scalable solutions that bridge technology and sustainability.
Dr Shamima Ferdousi Sifa, Assistance Professor and Climate Resilience Expert, University of Dhaka	Shamima Ferdousi Sifa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Disaster Science and Climate Resilience at the University of Dhaka. She specializes in climate change impacts, disaster risk reduction, hazard assessment, and early warning systems. Her academic journey began at the University of Dhaka, where she earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Disaster Science and Management. Over the years, she has led and contributed to numerous national and international research projects focusing on landslides, floods, soil salinity, and urban heat islands using GIS, remote sensing, and statistical modeling. She has a strong publication record and has presented her research at prestigious international platforms, including the AGU Fall Meeting. In addition to her research, she plays a vital role in academic coordination, curriculum development, and training programs related to disaster resilience. She is also actively involved in professional networks promoting climate and health adaptation, gender equality, and community resilience.
Md Asif Rafsan, DRR and EWS Expert	Md Asif Rafsan is a disaster risk reduction and climate resilience professional with over six years of experience in anticipatory action, early warning systems, and climate change adaptation. He holds both Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Disaster Science and Management from the University of Dhaka. As a Senior Program Officer at IFRC Bangladesh, he led the development of the national roadmap for the “Early Warnings for All” initiative, working closely with government ministries and technical partners. Asif has worked with leading organizations including BRAC, UNDP, ADPC, and Oxfam, contributing to policy advocacy, capacity building, and field-based research. His expertise includes GIS-based risk mapping, vulnerability assessments, python and stakeholder coordination. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications on disaster impacts, migration, and loss-damage assessment. Known for his strong analytical, facilitation, and communication skills, Asif is committed to advancing inclusive, evidence-driven solutions in disaster risk governance and climate resilience in Bangladesh and beyond.
Mr Tonoy Mahmud, Geospatial Expert, University of Dhaka	Tonoy Mahmud is a disaster science researcher with academic roots in the University of Dhaka, holding both BSc and MSc degrees in Disaster Science and Management. With a strong interest in geospatial technologies, climate risk, and hazard modeling, he has worked extensively in both academic and applied research. His professional journey includes roles as a Research Assistant in diverse projects on nuclear site risk assessment, landslide hazard mapping, and hydrometeorological risk analysis for vulnerable communities, as well as a Research Fellow at Oxfam Bangladesh focusing on drought dynamics. Tonoy has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications in remote sensing, landslide susceptibility, drought analysis, and climate vulnerability. He brings strong expertise in GIS, remote sensing, and statistical modeling using Python, R, and Google Earth Engine. Beyond research, he is an active Wikipedia editor, creative photographer, and passionate cyclist, driven by a vision to integrate science and technology for building disaster-resilient futures.
Mr M Maruf Alam James, Large Language Model Specialist, University of Dhaka	M Maruf Alam James is the Assistant Director of the ICT Division at the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh with a strong background in ICT infrastructure, James has designed and overseen network and software architecture for UGC and various universities across Bangladesh. In addition to his contributions to tertiary education policy and digital transformation in higher education, James specializes in the application and integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) for education, research, and administrative automation. He is passionate about leveraging AI to enhance digital learning, streamline institutional workflows, and support evidence-based policy formulation.
Ms Saiyeba Zaman, Community Coordinator, University of Dhaka	Saiyeba Zaman is a dedicated disaster risk and climate resilience specialist in humanitarian programming, anticipatory action, and community-based adaptation. Currently serving at the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) in partnership with the German Red Cross, she leads multi-stakeholder initiatives that strengthen local resilience, early warning systems, and climate justice—particularly for women and youth in high-risk areas. With an academic background in Disaster Science and Climate Resilience from the University of Dhaka, Saiyeba combines technical expertise in GIS, data analysis, and participatory research with a passion for inclusive governance and gender-responsive programming. Her work spans forecast-based financing, emergency response coordination and advocacy for shock-responsive social protection. Saiyeba leverages technology from geospatial tools to community-driven early action protocols to reduce risks for vulnerable populations. She has contributed to policy dialogues, published research on cyclone shelter accessibility, and trained grassroots volunteers to build equitable, climate-resilient futures.
Ms Sadia Afrin Sayfa Negaban, Meteorologist, University of Dhaka	Sadia Afrin Sayfa Negaban is a final-year student of Meteorology at the University of Dhaka. Passionate about climate change, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development, she has been actively involved in various national and international initiatives. Her affiliations include the Avoidable Death Network as a Future Leader and Intern, Campus Ambassador at the Environment and Climate Change Hub, and participant in ICIMOD’s Geospatial Empowerment Program. She was also recognized as the 2nd runner-up in Climathon 2024 and has received multiple awards for academic and creative excellence. Beyond academics, Sadia has organized and volunteered in numerous events promoting environmental awareness, including World Meteorological Day celebrations and international conferences. She is especially committed to empowering youth and vulnerable communities through research, advocacy, and inclusive climate action. With strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset, she continues to strive for a more resilient and equitable future.
Session 3: AI for Early Warnings for All

Mr Kevin White, Senior Director of Data Science, AI for Good Lab, Microsoft	Kevin White serves as a Senior Director of Data Science at Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, developing innovative solutions for pressing societal challenges. In collaboration with global experts, Kevin focuses on information integrity, sustainability, and humanitarian disaster response and resilience initiatives.
Mr Andrew Zolli, Chief Impact Officer, Planet Labs	As Chief Impact Officer, Andrew oversees the sustainable development, humanitarian, ethics and human rights portfolio at Planet, a breakthrough geospatial imaging organization that has deployed the largest constellation of Earth-observing satellites in history. Together, these satellites image the entire surface of the Earth, every day, in high resolution. When analyzed with advanced AI techniques, this imagery has transformational value for addressing a host of global challenges, including monitoring peace and conflict, improving agriculture, delivering sustainable development, ensuring human rights, predicting food insecurity, assessing climate change, delivering disaster response, and improving conservation, among many others. Andrew is also the author of Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back, which has been published in more than a dozen countries worldwide.
Dr Christopher J.L. Murray, Professor; IHME Director; Chair, Department of Health Metrics Sciences, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)	Christopher J.L. Murray, MD, DPhil, is Professor and Chair of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington and Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). His career has focused on improving population health worldwide through better evidence. A physician and health economist, his work has led to the development of a range of new methods and empirical studies to strengthen health measurement, analyze the performance of health care systems, understand the drivers of health, and produce forecasts of the future state of health. He has led critical analyses during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand its impact on health systems and the population as a whole, and the effectiveness of policy interventions to mitigate it. Dr Murray’s most recent work on COVID-19 demonstrates his and IHME’s ability to bridge the science-policy divide through consistent engagement with collaborators around the world. When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, IHME rapidly pivoted to develop a bespoke data-driven modeling approach to COVID-19 for all affected countries, resulting in the world’s most comprehensive and accurate series of long-range forecasts and scenarios. The White House, European Commission, many governments in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, and regional organizations such as WHO EURO, PAHO, and Africa CDC use IHME COVID-19 forecasts and policy scenarios as a reliable, trusted source of evidence. Dr. Murray is the founding Director of IHME, an independent research institution at the University of Washington that provides rigorous and comparable measurement of the world’s most important health problems and evaluates the strategies used to address them through the application of innovative scientific methods. The resultant policy-relevant evidence base informs decision-makers from local to global levels about the current state and future direction of population health and the resources and successful policies needed to improve it. Dr Murray leads the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) enterprise, the single largest epidemiological enterprise of its kind in the world. He is an architect and co-author of the original GBD framework, a systematic effort to quantify the comparative magnitude of health loss due to diseases, injuries, and risk factors by age, sex, and geography over time. The GBD Collaboration is now a network of 7,700 scientists and decision-makers from 156 countries who together generate annually updated estimates. The GBD has standardized analytic methods to generate assessments for more than 350 diseases and injuries and 87 risk factors for over 200 countries and 800 states and provinces within them. The most recent of the updates, GBD 2019, presents estimates of all-cause mortality, deaths by cause, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years by country, age, and sex from 1990 to 2019. From 1998 to 2003, Dr. Murray worked at the World Health Organization (WHO), where he served as the Executive Director of the Evidence and Information for Policy Cluster. He later became Director of the Harvard Initiative for Global Health and the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, as well as the Richard Saltonstall Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard School of Public Health (2003–2007). He has authored more than 500 journal articles and authored or edited 16 books. Dr. Murray holds Bachelor of Arts and Science degrees from Harvard University, a DPhil in International Health Economics from Oxford University, and a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the 2018 co-recipient of the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award.
Mr Chris Emberson, GIS Expert, ITU	Chris Emberson is a GIS professional with over 25 years’ experience in geospatial technologies, and holds a Master’s degree in Geographical Information Management from Cranfield University, UK.
Dr Grey Nearing, Research Scientist, Google	Mr Grey Nearing is a Research Scientist at Google on the Flood Forecasting team. He holds a PhD in Hydrology from the University of Arizona and has worked on large-scale hydrological modeling teams at NASA, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and NOAA. Before joining Google he was a professor of Earth Science at the University of California Davis and the University of Alabama.
Ms Nina Bekele, Strategic Partnerships Development Manager, Google	Ms Nina Bekele is the Strategic Partnerships Development Manager for Social Impact at Google, where she leads collaborations with governments, international organizations, NGOs, and academic institutions to leverage Google’s cutting-edge technology for the public good. Her work focuses on some of today’s most pressing global challenges, including climate resilience, crisis response, food security, education, and digital transformation. Nina has a proven track record in negotiating complex deals and building strong relationships with a variety of stakeholders, enabling key Google products that help users in 100+ countries. Prior to joining Google, Nina worked as a management consultant. She holds a Master’s degree in International Management from Erasmus University Rotterdam.

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WORKSHOP INFORMATION

AI Innovation for Early Warnings for All: Bridging, saving lives (in-person)

Date: 09 July 2025, 09:00 AM - 12:15 PM CEST
Location: Room Q, Palexpo, Rte François-Peyrot 30, 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland
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