Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Alexandra Phelan, SJD, is an expert in legal and policy issues related to emerging and infectious disease outbreaks with a focus on the impact of global change events on health.
Research Interests
International law; Emerging Infectious Diseases; Human Rights; Equity; Planetary Health; Climate Change; Global Health Security
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
Dr Alexandra L Phelan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and Faculty Director (Policy) at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health at Johns 乌鸦传媒.
Dr Phelan is an international lawyer with expertise in global health law and international environmental law, and a particular focus on epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response. She/they advises international organizations, international institutions, and governments on international law and pandemic preparedness and response, and has served on several national and international advisory bodies, including for the World Health Organization and the US National Academies.
Dr. Phelan earned a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in international law and infectious disease from Georgetown University Law Center, a Master of Laws from the Australian National University specializing in international law, and a dual Bachelor of Biomedical Science/Bachelor of Laws from Monash University. Prior to becoming a professor, she/they worked as a solicitor at one of the leading law firms in the Asia Pacific and was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and High Court of Australia
Honors & Awards
Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence, 2019
Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society, 2015
General Sir John Monash Scholar, 2013
Select Publications
Phelan, AL & Gostin, LO. (2025) The International Health Regulations (Fourth Edition): Advancing Security, Solidarity, and Equity for a Safer and Fairer World. Georgetown Journal of International Law, 56(2)
Phelan, AL, & Sirleaf, M. (2023). Decolonization of Global Health Law: Lessons from International Environmental Law. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 51(2), 450鈥453.
Phelan, A.L. and Carlson, C.J. (2022) 鈥淎 treaty to break the pandemic cycle鈥, Science 377(6605), 475-77 (2022).
Phelan, A.L., COVID-19 Immunity Passports and Vaccination Certificates: Scientific, Equitable & Legal Challenges. The Lancet (2020) 395(10237): P1595-1598.
Phelan, A.L., Katz, R., Gostin, L., The Novel Coronavirus Originating in Wuhan, China: Challenges for Global Health Governance, JAMA (2020).