61st Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference
Scientific Program
October 14-17, 2018
Professional Development Courses
Scientific Program | Abstracts (PDF 859KB)
Posters | Poster Abstracts (PDF 782KB)
Photos | Preliminary Program (PDF 1MB)
(Abstracts are on locked PDF documents. Password will be distributed by the ABSA office.)
October 14, 2018
International Session
Please join us for a special session on Sunday afternoon before the Opening Reception. The focus will be on the challenges of maintaining sustainable and durable international outreach efforts in biosafety and biosecurity. The session runs from 1:00 – 5:00 pm on Sunday, October 14. Speakers from around the world will present on the challenges of implementing biosafety programs and how to sustain them in often resource challenging environments. There will be a special poster session with posters from over 20 countries and a roundtable discussion where all participants can discuss solutions with international biorisk management experts.
SUSTAINABLE AND DURABLE BIOSAFETY AND LABORATORY CAPACITY BUILDING (PDF, 2MB)
Martin Jones, Chief Biological Safety Officer, Inspiron Biosciences
Sustainable biosafety and and laboratory capacity building for resource-constrained settings – what do we mean? (PDF, 5MB)
Julie E. Fischer, PhD, Research Associate Professor, Georgetown University Medical Center
Durable and Sustainable Technologies for more Energy Efficient Facilities (PDF, 3MB)
New Member Reception
Opening Reception
Public Health Shared Interest Group
Following the Opening Reception, the Public Health Shared Interest Group will hold their meeting. All public health professionals that are responsible or involved in biosafety within public health or clinical labs are invited. The meeting will take place at the Charleston Convention Center starting at 8:30 pm.
October 15, 2018
ABSA International Credentialing Information Session
The Credentialing Evaluation and Credentialing Maintenance Boards will host a Q&A session at the conference in Charleston, SC on Monday morning. If you have any questions or concerns or are just looking for guidance on applying for or maintaining your RBP or CBSP, please consider attending this morning session. We will also address any question on the transition of the CBSP from NRCM to ABSA. The session will be held from 7:00 – 8:00 am on October 15.
Monday Morning
7:00 – 5:00 pm – Registration
9:30 – 4:00 pm – Vendor Exhibits
8:00 – 8:15 am – Welcome and ABSA International President’s Address
Master of Ceremonies: Patrick Condreay, PhD, RBP, pc Biosafety Consulting Services, LLC, Carrboro, NC
8:15 – 8:20 am – Local Arrangements Committee Welcome
Sylvie Blondelle, PhD, RBP, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
8:20 – 8:25 am – Scientific Program Committee Welcome
Betsy Matos, PhD, RBP, CBSP, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Session I: Arnold G. Wedum Memorial Lecture Award
Introduction: Jessica McCormick-Ell, PhD, RBP, CBSP, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
Microbes in Space
Kasthuri Venkateswaran, PhD, DAg, NASA—Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Session II: Emergency Response
Moderator: Darlene Ward, RBP, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
9:25 – 9:45 am – Biorisk Management Considerations for Non-Traditional Laboratories (PDF, 14MB)
Sharon E. Altmann, PhD, CBSP, MRIGlobal, Gaithersburg, MD
9:45 – 10:05 am – Novel Exercise Technology to Improve Incident Response Readiness (PDF, 14MB)
Carrie McNeil, DVM, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA
10:05 – 10:25 am – Transboundary or Emerging Disease Event: We are Here to Help (PDF, 9MB)
Betsy Matos, PhD, RBP, CBSP, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break
Session III: Public Health
Moderator: Anthony Troiano, PhD, RBP, Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc., Needham, MA
10:55 – 11:15 am – Empowering Biosafety Officers: Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Maintains Community of Practice (PDF, 7MB)
Michael Marsico, MS, Association of Public Health Laboratories, Silver Spring, MD
11:15 – 11:35 am – Evolving Field of Biosciences: Global Biosecurity Risks and Management Strategies (PDF, 5MB)
Aparupa Sengupta, PhD, MS, RBP, University of California—Merced, Merced CA
Robert I. Gross Student Award & Lecture
Outbreak Detection and Response: Country Prioritization Model for West Africa (PDF, 2MB)
Laurie Wallis, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch
Session IV: Poster Session
Presenters must be available during the session.
Session V: Polio
Moderator: Dawn Wooley, PhD, RBP, CBSP, Wright State University, Dayton, OH
1:30 – 1:50 pm – Sample Collections and Poliovirus Containment: What’s the Connection? (PDF, 676KB)
Christy Myrick, PhD, RBP, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
1:50 – 2:10 pm – Poliovirus Containment for Non-Polio Facilities (PDF, 4MB)
Daphne B. Moffett, PhD, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
2:10 – 2:30 pm – Supporting Containment Standards for Poliovirus After Eradication (PDF, 1MB)
Rocco Casagrande, PhD, Gryphon Scientific, Takoma Park, MD
Session VI: Focus on High-Containment Biosafety
Moderator: Betty Kupskay, MS, RBP, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
2:30 – 2:50 pm – Aerosol Monitoring of ABSL-3 Spaces Housing Non-Human Primates Challenged with Coxiella Burnettii (PDF, 1MB)
David Harbourt, PhD, RBP, CBSP, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD
2:50 – 3:10 pm – A Pilot Study to Demonstrate the Need for Biosafety Training at the Institute of Sanitary Careers in Morocco (PDF, 4MB)
Tahar Bajjou, Mohammed V Military Teaching Hospital, Rabat, Morocco
3:10 – 3:30 pm – The Department of Defense Response to Shipments of Incompletely Inactivated Bacillus anthracis Spores (PDF, 2MB)
Michael D. Chute, RBP, Department of Defense, Frederick, MD
Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break
Session VII: Regulatory
Moderator: Judy LaDuc, RBP, University of Massachusetts—Amherst, Amherst, MA
4:00 – 4:20pm – Analysis of CDC Import Permit Program Inspections from 2013 to 2017 (PDF, 1MB)
Thomas Cremer, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
4:20 – 4:40 pm – Young v UPS: A Supreme Court Ruling with Applicability to Biosafety Laboratories
Casey Skvorc, PhD, JD, American Public University, Charles Town, WV
4:40 – 5:00 pm – The Story Told by the Volatile Reporting of Incidents from Three Different Types of Laboratory Networks
Mika Shigematsu, MD, RBP, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
Members’ Business Meeting
October 16, 2018
Tuesday Morning
7:00 am – 5:00 pm – Registration
9:30 am – 4:00 pm – Vendor Exhibits
8:00 – 8:05 am – Welcome
Master of Ceremonies: Dee Zimmerman, Galveston, TX
Session VIII: Griffin Lecture Award
8:05 – 8:20 am
Introduction: Caryl Griffin, MSN, MDiv, Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation, Kingsport, TN
8:20 – 9:20 am – All Appropriate Measures: Biosafety and Biosecurity in an Era of Global Health Threats (PDF, 6MB)
Julie Fischer, PhD, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC
Session IX: Biosafety Hot Topics
Moderator: Shelley Jones, MS, RBP, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
9:20 – 9:40 am – Arthropod Containment Evaluation in an Academic Institution (PDF, 44MB)
Debra Sharpe, MPH, RBP, Sharpe Solutions International, Birmingham, AL
9:40 – 10:00 am – An Overview of Field Research Safety Resources for Biosafety Professionals (PDF, 12MB)
Scott Patlovich, DrPH, CBSP, University of Texas Health Science Center—Houston, Houston, TX
10:00 – 10:20 am – Risk Assessment and Reassessment in a Diagnostic Microbiology Lab (PDF, 7MB)
Lisa L. Steed, PhD, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break
Session X: Eagleson Lecture Award
Introduction: Mary Ann Sondrini, Eagleson Institute, Sanford, ME
Using Viruses to Select for Reduced Virulence of Bacterial Pathogens in Human Patients (PDF, 96MB)
Paul Turner, PhD, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch
NextGen Shared Interest Group Meeting
The NextGen Shared Interest Group will be hosting a career panel luncheon at the 61st Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Charleston, SC on Tuesday, October 16, 12:00 – 1:30 pm (location TBD). The career panel will feature guest speakers from the biosafety profession in academia, industry, consulting, public health, and government, as well as a recent CBSP-credentialed individual. Speakers will discuss the road to their current positions and what it is like to work in their particular biosafety field. Following a brief introduction from each speaker, the panel will open up for questions and discussion on how to grow and succeed in a biosafety career. All newer biosafety professionals with less than five years’ experience in the field are welcome!
Session XI: Poster Session
Presenters must be available during the session.
Session XII: Behavior Enhancing Compliance
Moderator: Maya Nair, RBP, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
1:30 – 1:50 pm – Biosafety in Microbiology Teaching Laboratories (PDF, 3MB)
Emilie Descamps, PhD, Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP), Brussels, Belgium
1:50 – 2:10 pm – Canada’s Biosecurity Oversight, Strengthening Biosecurity Risk Assessment (PDF, 545KB)
Genevieve Lacroix, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
2:10 – 2:30 pm – Development, Implementation, and Utility of a Survey-based Laboratory Safety Management Tool (PDF, 1MB)
Shannon Keckler, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break
Session XIII: Training
Moderator: Sarah DiFurio, MS, RBP, Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, TN
3:00 – 3:20 pm – Effective Biosafety and Biosecurity Training for Maintenance and Security Personnel (PDF, 11MB)
Molly S. Stitt-Fischer, PhD, CBSP, SM(NRCM), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
3:20 – 3:40 pm – ABSA Education & Curriculum Task Force: Survey Results and Analysis and Current Initiatives (PDF, 2MB)
Brandy Nelson, CBSP, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
3:40 – 4:00 pm – Small Actions Bigger Impact: Training Brings in House Solution for Biosafety Issues
Saeed Khan, Dow University of Health sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
4:00 – 4:20 pm – Laboratory-acquired Infections and Exposure Routes: The Known, The Probable, and the Possible (PDF, 5MB)
Benjamin Fontes, MPH, CBSP, Yale University, New Haven, CT
4:20 – 4:30 pm – Question and Answer
Banquet at the USS Yorktown
On Tuesday night come aboard the World War II’s famous “Fighting Lady” USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier at Patriots Point! Christened 75 years ago by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the USS Yorktown became Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in 1976. Enjoy unmatched views of the Charleston harbor and city skyline from the flight deck while nibbling on appetizers. Exhibits will be open for you to learn about past life on board a Navy ship. A hickory-smoke feast dinner with vegetarian options will be served in the Hangar Bay. Plan to join us at this historical venue for dinner, music, amazing displays, and great city views.
October 17, 2018
Wednesday Morning
7:00 – 5:00 pm Registration
8:15 – 8:20 am – Welcome
Master of Ceremonies: President-Elect: TBD
Session XIV: Invited Speaker
Introduction: Kalpana Rengarajan, PhD, JM, RBP, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Global Testbeds for Biosafety and Biosecurity Policy
Megan Palmer, PhD, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Coffee Break
Session XV: Richard Knudsen Award
Introduction: Francine Rogers, ALM, MS, CBSP, SM(NRCM), Boston, MA
A Framework for the Risk Assessment and Management of Gene Drive Technology in Contained Use (PDF, 2MB)
Cécile van der Vlugt, PHD
Session XVI: Biosafety Program Management
Moderator: Frank Novembre, PhD, RBP, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Temple TX
10:05 – 10:25 am – Moving Biorisk Management from Individual Heroics to Institutional Excellence (PDF, 3MB)
LouAnn C. Burnett, CBSP, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
10:25 – 10:50 am – How Threat Management Compliments a Biorisk Program and Contributes to a Culture of Responsibility in Biological Laboratories
Patricia Delarosa, PhD, RBP, CBSP, US Department of Health & Human Services, Washington, DC
10:50 – 11:10 am – 2018 Biosafety Month: ABSA International Responses to Members’ Needs (PDF, 13MB)
Eric Rouse, MS, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
11:10 – 11:30 am – Case Studies in Personnel Suitability and Their Wider Application to the Research Community (PDF, 2MB)
Kathryn F. Board, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Honor Awards and Special Recognition Luncheon
Presenter: Patrick Condreay, PhD, RBP, pc Biosafety Consulting Services, LLC, Carrboro, NC
Arnold G. Wedum Distinguished Achievement Award
Everett J. Hanel, Jr. Presidential Award
John H. Richardson Special Recognition Award
Scientific and Informational Poster Awards
Hashimoto Award for Service and Honor
Recognition of Certified Biosafety Professionals and Registered Biosafety Professionals
Presenters: Thomas P. Boyle, RBP, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ
Susan Cook, PhD, CBSP, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Session XVII: Biosafety Issues Associated with the Use of Laboratory Animals for Studying Emerging or Re-emerging Infectious Pathogens
Moderator: Esmeralda Meyer, MD, JM, RBP, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
1:30 – 1:40 pm – AAALAC’s Perspective on the Use of Novel Microbial Pathogens in Laboratory Animals (PDF, 2MB)
Gary Borkowski, DVM, DACLAM, AAALAC International, Frederick, MD
1:40 – 1:50 pm – Laboratory-acquired Infections Associated with the Use of Emerging or Re-emerging Microbial Pathogens in Laboratory Animals (PDF, 854KB)
Karen Byers, MS, RBP, CBSP, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
1:50 – 2:00 pm – Training for Research, Veterinary, or Ancillary Personnel When Using Emerging Infectious Pathogens in Laboratory Animals (PDF, 3MB)
Nicole Duffee, DVM, PhD, American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, Memphis, TN
2:00 – 2:30 pm – Panel Question and Answer
Session XVIII: Agent Inactivation
Moderator: Claudia Gentry-Weeks, PhD, CBSP, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
2:30 – 2:50 pm – Decontamination of High-Containment Facilities by Peroxyacetic Acid Dry Fogging and the Failure of Commercial Spore Carriers
Jan Schinköthe, Friedrich-Loeffler Institute, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
2:50 – 3:10 pm – Review of Necessary Practices for EPA Submission of a Hospital Disinfectant Using Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) (PDF, 1MB)
Helen Paxton, St. Francis Healthcare, Wilmington, DE
3:10 – 3:30 pm – Chlorine Dioxide Decontamination of Older Buildings—Is Dust Really an Issue? (PDF, 3MB)
Andrew Hill, CSIRO—Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Melbourne, Australia
Session XIX: Equipment in the Lab
Moderator: Allison Liljedahl, CBSP, University of California—Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
3:50 – 4:10 pm – BSC Mythbusters: Does Heat Really Affect My Protection? (PDF, 17MB)
Kara F. Held, PhD, Baker, Sanford, ME
4:10 – 4:30 pm – Centrifuge Biosafety or as My Rotor Turns (PDF, 4MB)
Brian Petuch, RBP, CBSP, Merck & Company, Inc., West Point, PA
4:30 – 4:50 pm – Validating Autoclave Cycles for Carcass Disposal in ABSL-2/3 Containment Laboratories (PDF, 4MB)
Rebecca McGirr, MS, RBP, Duke University, Durham, NC
Close of Conference
Master of Ceremonies
President-Elect: TBD