Ali Nouri

Dr. Ali Nouri is the President of the Federation of American Scientists, an organization that has, since 1945, bridged the gap between science and policy. He previously served as legislative director and national security advisor to U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) where he oversaw the work of the Senator’s legislative team, drafted and negotiated bills, and represented the Senator in various fora. 

Nouri came to Capitol Hill in 2008 and joined Senator Jim Webb’s office (D-VA) first as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow and then as an advisor on science, energy, and the environment. He currently serves as chair to the AAAS Science and Engineering Fellowship Advisory Committee and is a member of the New Voices of the National Academies for outstanding leaders in science, engineering, and medicine.

Prior to coming to Capitol Hill, Nouri was an advisor to the office of the UN Secretary General, and a research associate at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School where he developed initiatives to maximize the beneficial applications of biotechnology to global health, while working to cut off pathways through which biotech can be used to develop biological weapons. 

Nouri holds a B.A. in Biology from Reed College and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University where his research focused on the genetic and cellular mechanisms of embryonic development.