Briana Lewis is an M.Phil. candidate in policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. Her research focuses on the technical assessment of emerging technologies and their implications for national security, defense modernization, and public policy.
Lewis's work examines how decisionmakers evaluate, adopt, and govern novel technologies in complex operational environments. Her current research includes technology readiness assessment, defense innovation pathways, artificial intelligence–enabled biological risk, directed energy systems, autonomy, and advanced capability development. She has contributed to projects on technology maturation, operational integration, and risk-informed decisionmaking.
Prior to joining RAND, Lewis worked in health care systems research and quality improvement, leading data-driven initiatives across pediatric health systems and publishing peer-reviewed research on trauma care, health outcomes, and health care delivery. Her interdisciplinary background combines policy analysis, quantitative methods, implementation science, and systems thinking to evaluate how emerging technologies transition from research and development to operational capability.
Education
M.S. in global health, University College London