Erin Murphy has worked on Asia issues since 2001. She has spent her career in several public and private sector roles, including as an analyst on Asian political, foreign policy, and leadership issues at the Central Intelligence Agency, a director for Indo-Pacific with a development finance agency, leading her boutique advisory firm focused on Myanmar, and as an English teacher with the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program in Saga ken, Japan.

Erin received her master's degree in Japan Studies and International Economics from Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies, and her bachelor's degree in International Relations and Spanish from Tufts University. She was also a 2017-2018 Hitachi International Affairs Fellow-Japan with the Council on Foreign Relations.