Saini Yang took the position of Executive Director of Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) co-sponsored by ISC and UNDRR in July 2024. Dr. Saini Yang is a professor at Beijing Normal University. Saini’s research interests include risk analysis and climate change adaptation. Saini is the PI of more than twenty research projects and has published more than 100 papers in academic journals, including Nature Climate Change and Nature Communications. Saini is a member of the expert committee of the National Disaster Reduction Commission and a member of the Asia-Pacific Science and Technology Advisory Group of the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction, and also serves as the editorial board of several international academic journals. Saini got her bachelor and master degree from Southeast University and PhD degree from University of Maryland.

As Science Officer of IRDR, Fang Lian assists with the planning and implementation of IRDR’s mission. She serves as the primary contact for members of the IRDR community and helps with the design and organization of IRDR conferences, meetings, workshops and training. She is the focal point of IRDR Young Scientists Programme and devotes to promote the regional DRR capacity building and communication of the young professionals. She is the Core Group member of the Global Risk Science Research Framework initiated by ISC and UNDRR. She is also one of the major editors of the IRDR Working Paper Series. She works on science communication and education, co-design disaster risk reduction solutions toward multi-stakeholders, and science and policy dialogue. Before joining IRDR, her research focused on the disaster risk assessment and mapping especially on land degradation.

Kerry-Ann is no stranger to the IRDR Programme. Between 2013 and 2015, Kerry-Ann held the role of Junior Science Officer, and rejoined the team in October 2025 as the Programme's Science and Communication Officer. In her current role Kerry-Ann will, along with the Science Officer, assist the Executive Director with the implementation of IRDR’s mission, including monitoring and analyzing the implementation progress and completion status of the Programme's research projects, and communicating same to the wider IRDR network and global disaster risk reduction arena. Kerry-Ann brings to the IRDR a varied yet complementary background in historical disaster research, disaster risk management with on the ground experience working with Jamaica's national disaster management agency, and public policy development and analysis. She has a Master of Sciences degree in disasters, adaptation and development from King's College London, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of the West Indies.

Lang joined the IRDR IPO as the Administrative Officer in June 2010 and supports the IRDR Programme by handling a broad spectrum of administrative and secretarial tasks, including creating, maintaining, and archiving reports and other office documents; making the necessary arrangements for travels, meetings, conferences, and other events; and acting as liaison with the accounting and administrative departments of the IPO’s host, AIR.

Zhihao Wang joined IRDR as the Office Assistant in March 2025, supporting the Executive Director in coordinating research and administrative operations. Her role focuses on project lifecycle coordination, event logistics, and daily task management. She received a Master’s degree in Safety Science and Engineering from Beijing Normal University in June 2024, specializing in risk assessment of geohazards, with a commitment to integrating data-driven approaches into IRDR’s disaster risk reduction initiatives.

Wuzhou Lian joined IRDR IPO as a Communication Intern in September 2025. His responsibilities are developing and improving the website as well as assisting in communicating and planning activities. This includes developing pages for ICoEs and Young Scientists Programme, and supporting the organisation of the Young Scientists Lumos. He is now a sophomore at Stony Brook University, majored in mathematics. He is dedicated in using mathematical knowledge to organize, analyze and model the relevant data of disasters, and then propose solutions for disaster reduction.

Mercy Ananu Wediah joined the IRDR IPO as a Communication Intern in September 2025. Her primary responsibilities include collecting and compiling global disaster risk reduction (DRR) research and practice cases, drafting and editing news articles and reports on IRDR activities, and undertaking additional tasks as directed by the Executive Director. Currently a second-year graduate student at the University of Science and Technology, Beijing, Mercy is passionate about leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance disaster risk mitigation, inform strategic planning, and develop effective solutions for inevitable disasters.

Zhang Ziyang joins IRDR IPO as an Operation Intern. He provides support in communication, conference coordination, and general administrative functions. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at the School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University. His academic research focuses on integrating systems modeling with multi-source data to advance the study of dynamic disaster risk assessment and key technologies for emergency response. Through his work, Zhang Ziyang contributes to the development of evidence-based strategies in disaster risk reduction and supports IRDR’s mission to promote global resilience.

Siyi Xie joined IRDR IPO as a Communication Intern in November 2025. Her responsibilities include developing and improving the website, as well as assisting with communication and planning activities. Currently, she is a junior student at University of International Business and Economics, majoring in international politics and English. She is committed to integrating the professional knowledge she has learned with the integrated research on disaster risks during her internship, and contributing to the responsibilities of IRDR.