Alexandra Louise Phelan is an Australian‑born legal scholar and public‑health researcher. She is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Her work focuses on international law, human rights, and policy issues related to emerging and re‑emerging infectious diseases, as well as the broader planetary‑health drivers of disease emergence such as climate change.
Early life and education
Phelan attended Eltham College in Melbourne before enrolling at Monash University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences (2006) and a Bachelor of Laws (2009). Her undergraduate honors thesis examined Australia’s implementation of the 2005 International Health Regulations. She subsequently completed a Master of Laws (LLM) at the Australian National University in 2013, specializing in international law and global health security. In 2013 she moved to the United States to pursue a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) at Georgetown University Law Center, completing the degree in 2019 under the supervision of Lawrence O. Gostin. Her doctoral research explored how international law can facilitate responses to infectious‑disease threats.
Academic and professional career
After admission to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia (2010) and a brief period as a solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, Phelan joined the faculty at Georgetown University. At Georgetown she was a member of the Center for Global Health Science and Security, an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and an adjunct professor of law.
In 2023 she joined Johns Hopkins University, holding concurrent appointments as an associate professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health and as a senior scholar at the Center for Health Security. She also serves as faculty director of policy programs for the Institute for Planetary Health at Johns Hopkins.
Research focus
Phelan’s scholarship investigates the intersection of international law, human rights, and global health security. Key areas include:
- Legal and policy frameworks for responding to epidemics such as Ebola, Zika, and COVID‑19.
- Upstream drivers of disease emergence, notably climate change, biodiversity loss, and other aspects of planetary health.
- The right to health and procedural safeguards in public‑health emergencies, including due‑process protections for quarantine and travel restrictions.
She has served on the National Academy of Sciences Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and has consulted for the World Health Organization, the World Bank Group, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Notable contributions
Ebola epidemic – During the West African Ebola outbreak (2014‑2016), Phelan co‑authored recommendations urging the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution addressing the epidemic’s security implications. She later analyzed the United States’ legal response to the outbreak and advocated for stronger international coordination.
COVID‑19 pandemic – Early in the pandemic, Phelan called for the World Health Organization to declare COVID‑19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and warned against travel bans that could undermine global trust. She emphasized the need for equitable, inclusive control measures that protect vulnerable populations while respecting civil liberties.
Selected publications
- “COVID‑19: control measures must be equitable and inclusive.” BMJ 2020.
- “The novel coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China: challenges for global health governance.” JAMA 2020.
- “The Ebola epidemic: a public‑health emergency.” JAMA 2014.
Awards and honors
- Listed among the Top 100 Women of Influence by the Australian Financial Review (2019).
- Recognized as an Emerging Leader in Biosecurity by the Center for Health Security (2015).
- Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society (2015).
Professional affiliations
- Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
- Faculty Director, Policy Programs, Institute for Planetary Health, Johns Hopkins.
- Member, National Academy of Sciences Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Phelan’s interdisciplinary work bridges law, policy, and public health, aiming to strengthen global preparedness and response mechanisms for infectious‑disease threats in an era of rapid environmental change.