Dmytro Stepanskyi, M.D., Ph.D., is the ASM Ambassador to Ukraine and the National Poliovirus Containment Coordinator of Ukraine. A physician-researcher specializing in clinical microbiology, antimicrobial resistance and infectious disease policy, Stepanskyi has built his career responding to some of the most consequential public health challenges of the last decade: the COVID-19 pandemic, recurring polio and measles outbreaks and the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine—each of which has shaped his work as a scientist, public health professional and advocate for the global microbiology community.

Stepanskyi served for 12 years as Head of the Department of Microbiology, Virology, Immunology and Epidemiology at Dnipro State Medical University, where he led research programs and mentored early-career scientists. His research focuses on antimicrobial resistance in war-related wound infections and novel antiseptic development, with publications in leading international peer-reviewed journals. As a 2024–2025 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, he deepened his expertise in AMR policy, pandemic preparedness and countering health disinformation—complemented by visiting research on novel antiseptics at Emory's Wuest Laboratory.

Since becoming ASM Ambassador to Ukraine in 2021, Stepanskyi has substantially grown the ASM membership network in the country, connecting students, educators and practicing professionals to the global microbiology community. He has participated in every ASM Microbe from 2021-2026, serving as speaker and moderator. Committed to public engagement, he maintains an active YouTube channel, making microbiology, vaccination and biosecurity accessible to broad audiences and countering health misinformation. He also serves on Ukraine's National Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, the Ukrainian Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, and is an international member of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

Stepanskyi's commitment to the PIAA Committee's mission of progress, impact, access and accountability reflects a deep conviction that science advances farthest when knowledge, professional networks and evidence-based practice are genuinely accessible—regardless of geography, language or circumstance. Bridging that gap, for communities and colleagues who need it most, has been the defining thread of his career.