Dr. Jeff Silverstein started his career with USDA and ARS in 1997 as a geneticist and breeder with the catfish aquaculture program in Stoneville, Mississippi. He moved to the Office of National Programs in 2007 and subsequently served as Associate Director in the Southeast Area Office and then as the Deputy Administrator for Animal Production and Protection in the Office of National Programs. In December 2024, he was selected as the Associate Administrator for National Programs.

Dr. Silverstein led teams in the launch of the ARS Grand Challenge-Synergies program and ARSX, the breakthrough innovation platform. He has worked with leading scientists from ARS and around the world as the co-chair of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Transboundary Animal Disease Threats working group, and the OSTP Subcommittee on Aquaculture. He is part of the leadership team for the stand-up and scientific program development of the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, and has led the ARS response to highly pathogenic avian influenza. 

Dr. Jagvinder Dhanda’s career spans over 30 years across academic, private, and public sectors in India, Australia, and Canada. After earning his Master’s and DVM degrees in 1987, he began his career in animal health at a sheep breeding farm in India. He then spent six years as a research scientist at a university in northern India before being awarded a fellowship by the Australian Agency for International Development in 1996. This opportunity allowed him to pursue a PhD in Animal Production at the University of Queensland, Australia. 

In 2000, he reached another milestone when he accepted a research position at the University of Saskatchewan and relocated to Canada. In 2005, Dr. Dhanda joined the public sector when he accepted a regulatory veterinarian position with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Over the past 20 years, Dr. Dhanda has played a pivotal role in animal health and food safety programs at CFIA. He now serves as the Executive Director of the Animal Health Science Directorate, where he leads efforts in risk assessment, risk intelligence, surveillance design, research coordination, and laboratory operations. His work leverages cutting-edge scientific expertise and technologies to prevent, detect, control, and report foreign animal diseases, zoonotic infections, and emerging threats. 

Urszula Sierpinska is the National Manager responsible for the BSL4ZNet Secretariat, where she leads the network’s governance, funding strategy, and operational coordination. She provides strategic oversight for the Secretariat’s activities, including financial planning, reporting, and the advancement of collaborative initiatives.

With 16 years of experience overseeing a range of complex, cross‑disciplinary scientific and policy files spanning human and animal health domains, she she works closely with scientific and policy partners to support this Network.

Urszula holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a diploma in Food and Pharmaceutical Science.

Hailey is a member of the BSL4ZNet Secretariat, supporting international collaboration on biosafety, biosecurity, and high-containment laboratory operations. She has been part of the Secretariat for the past two years, contributing to strategic coordination across human and animal health sectors. Prior to this, Hailey worked at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) as a Laboratory Supervisor in the Animal Health Molecular Diagnostic Suite, where she was involved in the detection of high-consequence animal diseases. Her earlier experience includes academic research in disease modelling and clinical work in molecular diagnostics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hailey holds a Master’s degree from the University of Ottawa, where she developed a foundation in genetic research using model organisms. She is passionate about the One Health approach and advancing cross-sectoral efforts to address emerging infectious disease threats.