About Me
Gopal P. Sarma MD, PhD Critical and Emerging Technologies @ RANDPreviously White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Previously DARPA Biological Technologies Office Contact: [LinkedIn]
Dr. Gopal Sarma is a strategic technology leader with deep expertise spanning mathematics, physics, software engineering, data science, and medicine. Most recently, he served as Assistant Director for Artificial Intelligence and Biosecurity at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he led policy development at the intersection of AI and national security. Before joining the White House, he was a Program Manager at DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office, overseeing an extensive research portfolio in bioelectronics, human performance, and biosecurity.
Building on his experience at the intersection of biology and AI, Dr. Sarma believes that artificial intelligence represents a fundamental force in society that requires substantive advances in technical foundations, policy, and governance. His primary focus is on establishing technical foundations for governing advanced AI systems and developing countermeasures for mitigating emergent risks in cybersecurity, biosecurity, and autonomous systems.
Dr. Sarma continues to advise on projects at the convergence of life sciences and artificial intelligence, working with scientists, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and technologists to develop strategies that strengthen national security, accelerate biomedical innovation, and advance the bioeconomy. Other interests encompass modernizing physician-scientist training, ensuring research reproducibility across the life sciences, and applying lessons from scientific and technological history to drive practical organizational innovation. This interdisciplinary perspective, spanning biology and computation, informs his approach to developing robust governance frameworks for advanced AI systems.