65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference

Scientific Program

October 17–19, 2022

Sunday, October 16, 2022

6:30 – 8:30 pm Opening Reception in the Exhibit Hall

Opening Reception

New Member Reception

7:00 – 5:00 pm Registration

9:00 – 4:00 pm Vendor Exhibits

8:00 – 8:15 am Welcome and ABSA International President’s Address
Master of Ceremonies
LouAnn Burnett, MS, CBSP(ABSA), Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

8:15 – 8:20 am Local Arrangements Committee Welcome
Danielle Rintala, MS, RBP(ABSA), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

8:20 – 8:25 am Scientific Program Committee Welcome
AJ Troiano, PhD, RBP(ABSA), FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Boston, MA

LouAnn Burnett, MS, CBSP(ABSA): 2022 ABSA International Conference

Session I Arnold G. Wedum Memorial Lecture Award

Introduction: AJ Troiano, PhD, RBP(ABSA), FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Boston, MA
Moderator: Francine Rogers, MS, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Tufts University, Boston, MA

8:25 – 9:10 am Prion Disease: Risk Management Strategies to Enable Our Quest for a Cure
Sonia Vallabh, PhD and Eric Minikel, PhD, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
9:10 – 9:40 am Q&A Session

Sonia Vallabh, PhD and Eric Minikel, PhD: 2022 ABSA International Conference - Wedum Memorial Lecture Award
Sonia Vallabh, PhD and Eric Minikel, PhD: 2022 ABSA International Conference - Wedum Memorial Lecture Award

9:40 – 10:10 am Exhibits, Posters and Coffee Break

Session II High-Containment

Moderators: Darlene Ward, RBP(ABSA), Advarra, Boca Raton, FL and Rachel Gamble, DrPH, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Merrick & Company, Houston, TX

10:10 – 10:25 am Globalbiolabs.org: Tracking BSL-4 Labs Around the World
Ryan Houser, MS, MPH, Kings College, London, United Kingdom
10:25 – 10:40 am Evaluation of Insect Control and Monitoring Methods Implemented During High-Containment Insect Infection Studies
Adrian K. Zagrajek, PhD, The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, United Kingdom
10:40 – 10:55 am Managing Select Agent Security While Hosting a Media Presence
Kathryn F. Board, MS, RBP(ABSA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
10:55 – 11:10 am Q&A Session

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Summarize Globalbiolabs.org and how to use the mapping tool
  • Analyze the efficacy of freezing at -20°C, -80°C, or on dry ice as methods for killing insects in a laboratory
  • Identify postings and printed material in a work space that can compromise the privacy of lab workers

Darlene Ward, RBP(ABSA), Advarra, Boca Raton, FLDarlene Ward, RBP works for Advarra as the Vice-Chair for the IBC Committee and is the Senior Facility Inspector. Before joining Advarra, she worked for over 28 years in the Higher Ed Environmental Health and Safety field as a Biosafety Officer and Responsible Official overseeing researchers working with infectious diseases, recombinant DNA and select agents. She has a BS in Environmental Science from Florida State University and has been a member of ABSA for over 20 years serving on the Scientific Program and Preconference Course Committees.

Rachel Gamble, DrPH, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Merrick & Company, Greenwood Village, CODr. Gamble is the Associate Director, Biorisk Management Programs within Science & Technology in the Life Sciences practice at Merrick. Rachel has 15+ years of experience directing and managing safety programs for two biomedical research institutions with focused experience in biological safety and select agent regulations. She previously served as the Director of the Office for Environmental Safety as well as the director for the high containment/select agent research facility at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Gamble has recently worked on the stand-up of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, KS, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in addition to various projects for government and academic institutions both domestic and international. She holds a doctorate in public health, CBSP and RBP certifications, held previous Southern Biosafety Association (SBA) positions (treasurer, vice president, president, and past president), current vice president of SBA, serves as an ad hoc

Ryan Houser, MPH, MS, Kings College, London, United KingdomRyan Houser is a Research Associate with Kings College London working on the Global BioLabs Project and a PhD student in Biodefense at George Mason University. Ryan also works as an Emergency Manager in New Jersey. Ryan has a Master of Science in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases and an Executive Master of Professional Studies in Emergency and Disaster Management from Georgetown University among other graduate and professional degrees. Ryan was previously a dual-fellow at Georgetown University within the Center for Global Health Science and Security and O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law – Georgetown University Law Center. Ryan has also conducted research with New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers Law School Center on Law, Inequality and Metropolitan Equity, and York University. Ryan has worked in various first responder and healthcare roles within his community, receiving recognition as the US National EMT of the Year by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians in 2017.

Adrian K. Zagrajek, PhD, The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, United KingdomDr. Adrian Zagrajek is a Biosafety Training Officer at The Pirbright Institute (UK), a world leading center of excellence in research and surveillance of viral diseases of farm animals and viruses that spread from animals to humans. Adrian began his current role in 2020 when he joined SPirE, a training project aimed to share externally Pirbright’s expertise in disease control, biocontainment engineering and biosafety. Since then, Adrian has been responsible for the development and delivery of specialist training courses in the areas of biorisk management, biocontainment, competency management, disinfection, sterilization, waste management and movement of infectious materials. Previously, Adrian spent 6 years working as a postdoctoral research scientist studying competence of insect vectors for human biosafety level 3 viruses (e.g., chikungunya, dengue, Rift Valley fever). During this time, Adrian was involved in the management of several high containment facilities, including a state-of-the-art arthropod infection suite. In 2017, Adrian contributed to “Safe working with arthropods: Containment and control for work with uninfected, infected and transgenic animals in research”, the first UK industry guidance on working safely with insects in high containment laboratories. Adrian holds a PhD in Infection and Immunity (Virology) from the University of Edinburgh (UK).

Kathryn F. Board, MS, RBP(ABSA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PAKathryn Board received a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Immunology in 2004. She also holds a BS degree in Biology and a BA degree in English. While pursuing her master’s degree, she developed and characterized an SIV-infected, non-human primate model of secondary Pneumocystis carinii infection. Her work experience includes managing a registered Select Agent research lab at the University of Pittsburgh and doing research involving microRNA expression in the Human Papilloma Virus and microRNA expression profiles in human aging. Currently, she serves as the University of Pittsburgh Regional Biocontainment Laboratory Biosafety Officer and Alternate Responsible Official for work with Select Agent.

Session III Emerging Regulations

Moderators: Kalpana Rengarajan, PhD, MPH, RBP(ABSA), Emory University, Atlanta, GA and Michele Howard, MS, MPH, RBP(ABSA), Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC

11:10 – 11:30 am Defanging ISO 35001 for the Wary Scientist
Sharon Altmann, MS, RBP(ABSA) and Jane S. Alam, MRIGlobal, Gaithersburg, MD
11:30 – 11:50 am IBBIS: An Independent Entity for Global Biosecurity Governance
Aparupa Sengupta, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Washington, DC
11:50 – 12:10 pm Q&A Session

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Demonstrate how ISO 35001 aligns with and strengthens the existing implementation of established biorisk
    management guidelines and regulatory requirements
  • Explain how quality management and biorisk management function as complementary processes
  • Discuss the vision, mission, and scope of IBBIS (International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science) as an
    independent global entity to strengthen biosecurity norms and develop innovative tools and incentive structures
    to uphold them

Sharon Altmann, PhD, MS, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), MRIGlobal, Gaithersburg, MD Dr. Sharon Altmann is a Capability Manager/Senior Scientist in the Life Sciences Resource Center at MRIGlobal. She received her PhD in Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and currently holds both RBP and CBSP credentials from ABSA International. With MRIGlobal, Dr. Altmann has supported multiple international engagements, including BSL-3 laboratory training in Kazakhstan; Ebolavirus outbreak response and survivor study activities; BSL-4 core laboratory support; laboratory design and capacity building efforts in West Africa; pandemic-related return-to-work planning for schools and businesses; CLIA laboratory stand-up and operations; and biorisk management training program development. Dr. Altmann is an active member of the Chesapeake Area Biological Safety Association.

Jane S. Alam, MRIGlobal, Gaithersburg, MDJane Alam is a Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (ASQ CMQ/OE) and serves as a Senior Quality Assurance Officer at MRIGlobal. With over 18 years of experience working in biosurveillance, research and clinical diagnostic laboratories, she specializes in the ISO 9001 & ISO 17025 standards, while conducting audits of data, facility, reports, and technical processes, as well as developing and/or approving appropriate documentation of all QAU activities (e.g., corrective action plans, root cause(s) analysis, risk analysis, etc.) to ensure compliance to approved standard operating procedures (SOPs), client contracts, projects, quality manuals, and policies. Additionally, Jane Alam has supported multiple leadership and technical training events nationally and internationally for high containment laboratory staff, including capacity building efforts in West Africa post the 2014 Ebola epidemic.

Aparupa Sengupta, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Washington, DCDr. Aparupa Sengupta serves as a Senior Program Officer for NTI’s Global Biological Policy and Programs team NTI | bio. In this role, she supports the Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative (BIRRI) to reduce risks of biotechnology catastrophe. This includes efforts to advance the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science, a new international entity NTI is launching to safeguard science and reduce the risk of catastrophic events that could result from deliberate abuse or accidental misuse of bioscience and biotechnology. Dr. Sengupta is an accomplished scientist and global health security practitioner with more than 15 years of research, regulatory, and training experience across the fields of infectious disease containment, biosafety and biosecurity, and global biological risk reduction. Prior to joining NTI in 2022, she served at the University of California-Merced campus, where she initiated and led their biosafety and biosecurity programs, first, as the campus biosafety-biosecurity officer since May 2018 and then as the Assistant Director for Environmental Health and Safety and Director of High Containment Research Laboratories. Dr. Sengupta is an active member of ABSA International, where she plays key leadership roles in multiple committees; to highlight- Chair, Publications Committee and Co-Chair, International Engagement Committee. She also teaches pre-conference courses in the field of gene editing and related to other emerging technologies, and she has been invited to give many talks in the U.S. and internationally, advocating for the safe and secure use of emerging recombinant technologies in the evolving field of biosciences. Dr. Sengupta holds a PhD in Microbiology & Applied Biochemistry and MS in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology from Michigan Technological University and a MSc in Biotechnology from Bangalore University, India. Sengupta is also a Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) with ABSA International.

12:10 – 1:40 pm Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch

Session IV Poster Session

12:40 – 1:40 pm Presenters must be available during the session.

Posters: 2022 ABSA International Conference

Session V Invited Speaker

Introduction: Colleen Kovacsics, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Sparks Therapeutics, Philadelphia, PA
Moderator: James Baugh, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), University of California, Davis, CA

1:40 – 2:25 pm Biosafety Considerations in Advanced Cell Therapies for Cancer
Christian Capitini, MD, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
2:25 – 2:40 pm Q&A Session

2:40 – 3:10 pm Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break

Session VI International Biosafety Roundtable

3:10 – 4:10 pm Moderators: AJ Troiano, PhD, RBP(ABSA), FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Boston, MA and Noman Siddiqi, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

Panelists: TBD

Session VII IBC Management and Beyond

Moderators: Sunny Hoffman, RBP(ABSA), Clinical Biosafety Services, Columbia, MO and Matthew Anderson, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

4:10 – 4:25 pm IBC Oversight Practices in Human Gene Transfer in a Post-COVID Vaccine World
Chris Jenkins, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Clinical Biosafety Services, Chesterfield, MO
4:25 – 4:40 pm Perspective Regarding Programmatic Demands for Biosafety Programs Five Years Since Kymriah Approval
Andrew B. Maksymowych, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
4:40 – 4:55 pm Overview of Recent FDA Guidance Documents Pertinent to IBC Review of Clinical Trials Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules
Daniel Eisenman, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Advarra, Research Triangle Park, NC
4:55 – 5:20 pm Q&A Session

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Recall the current nature of clinical research with genetically modified biologics into human subjects
  • Restate the specific events from 2017 through 2022 and how these events may impact future programs
  • Paraphrase the overview of emerging technologies in clinical trials involving recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid
    molecules
Matt Anderson, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE

Matt is the Biosafety Officer and Responsible Official (RO) at the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL), where he has been since 2009. His duties include management of the biosafety program at UNL, serving as RO for UNL’s Select Agent Program as well as serving on the IBC, IACUC and Plant Growth Facility committees. He attended Dana College in Blair, NE (1994-1998) for his undergraduate studies and double majored in Biology and Chemistry. He earned his PhD in Chemical Biology from Washington University in St. Louis in 2005. His graduate work focused on molecular recognition of the main light sensing pathway in the human eye and understanding the forces and characteristics involved in the interaction between Rhodopsin (a G-protein coupled receptor) and its cognate G-protein,transducin. He completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship also at Washington University designing peptide-based scaffolds for site-directed targeting of lipid nanoparticles carrying both imaging agents and therapeutic compounds. He got his start in biosafety through a post-doctoral fellowship in biosafety at Washington University in St. Louis (2008-2009) under the mentorship of Susan Cook. He has been an ABSA member since 2008, currently serving as Chair of the ABSA E-communications Committee (2015-present), a member of the ABSA Scientific Program Committee (2018–present), ABSA Nominating Committee (2020), and Chair of the Local arrangements Committee for the 2023 ABSA Conference. He has been active in the Midwest Area Biosafety Network (MABioN) affiliate since 2008, having held positions as Councilor-at-Large (2012-2014), President Elect (2014-2016), and President (2016-2018) and Past-President (2018-2020). He obtained his RBP certification in 2015 and CBSP certification in 2019.At UNL Matt has been involved with numerous lab design and renovation projects including BSL-1, BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories. He has completed both ABSA pre-conference courses on Engineering for the Biosafety Professional as well as completed BSL-3 and ABSL-3 training courses from UTMB. As the RO he has been intimately involved with the operations of UNL’s BSL-3 laboratories and participated in every annual certification since the first lab opened in 2009.

Chris Jenkins, PhD, MPH, RBP(ABSA), Clinical Biosafety Services, Chesterfield, MODr. Chris Jenkins, PhD, MPH, is the CEO, Founder, and Principal Partner of Sabai Global + Subsidiaries of Clinical Biosafety Services IBC, Castle IRB, and Shield Consulting. He has worked 15+ years in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biological safety, gene therapy/gene transfer, corporate development, human research protections and biosafety compliance fields in academic, private research institute and clinical settings. He has experience overseeing a broad range of entity research compliance chairing IBCs and IRBs at over 1500 convened meetings. His past positions include Saint Louis University, The Scripps Research Institute, the University of Missouri, WCG, and the University of Texas at Austin. Chris conducted masters and doctorate studies in Public Health, with a focus on Biosecurity through the Saint Louis University School for Public Health and Social Justice. He is frequently consulted for ABSA workshops, webinars, presentations, and has a number of articles in print and review. He has 7 children with his amazing wife, and enjoys running, RVing, and playing the French horn when not slaying gene therapy dragons.

Andrew B. Maksymowych, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PAAndrew has been at the University of Pennsylvania since 2006. He is Penn’s Institutional Biosafety Officer and Associate Director for Biological Safety Programs, IBC Administrator, and the Institutional Contact for Dual Use Research. He sits on the Vice Provost’s for Research, Human Research Advisory Committee, the Human Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee, the Cadaver and Body Parts Oversight Committee, and a Veterinary IRB development work group. Andrew obtained his BS and MS degrees from Villanova University, and his PhD in Biochemistry from Bryn Mawr College. He has more than 20 years of teaching and 35 years of research experience, a major portion of which included oversight of research safety and compliance programs. Prior to his journey at Penn, he held a faculty appointment at Thomas Jefferson University where his research focused on the analysis of structure-function relationships in proteins, including protein toxins that poison the human nervous system, studying the mechanism of action of botulinum neurotoxins. At TJU he served on two IBC sub-committees implementing program and policy for Select Agents research. For the past 8 years, Andrew has been involved in programs with the Biosafety Administrator’s Association (BSAA).

Daniel Eisenman, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Advarra, Research Triangle Park, NC

Dr. Eisenman serves as Executive Director of Biosafety Services for Advarra where he directs the organization’s IBC service, focusing largely on clinical trials involving human gene transfer. Prior to joining Advarra, he served as Biosafety Officer at UNC Chapel Hill and the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Eisenman holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Immunology from Augusta University as well as various professional certifications in biological safety, including the Registered Biological Safety Professional (RBP) and Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP) certifications through the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) and as a Specialist Microbiologist in Biological Safety (SM(NRCM)) through the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) National Registry of Certified Microbiologists (NRCM). He also holds a Regulatory Affairs Certificate: Pharmaceuticals from the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS). He is a devoted longtime educator, having taught microbiology at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He is currently co-chair of the ABSA Scientific Planning Committee and leads the Advanced Biosafety Training committee. He regularly speaks at clinical research conferences.

5:20 – Close Members’ Business Meeting
Door prizes will be awarded—must be present to win.

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

7:00 – 5:00 pm Registration

9:00 – 4:00 pm Vendor Exhibits

8:00 – 8:05 am Welcome
Rebecca Moritz, MS, RBP(ABSA), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Session VIII Griffin Lecture Award

Introduction: Erin Sorrell, PhD, Elizabeth R. Griffin Program, Georgetown University,
Washington, DC
Moderator: Jessica McCormick-Ell, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

8:05 – 9:05 am Advancing Biosafety-Understanding the Local Context for Sustainability
Sacha Wallace-Sankarsingh, MSc., MPH, Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
9:05 – 9:20 am Q&A Session

Griffin Lecture Award recipient, Sacha Wallace-Sankarsingh, MSc., MPH, presented by Erin Sorrell, PhD, at ABSA International's 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference, October, 2022

Session IX Biorisk Program Management

Moderators: Julianne Baron, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Science and Safety Consulting, Venetia, PA and Maya Nair, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of North Texas Science Center, Fort Worth, TX

9:20 – 9:35 am Biosafety and Biosecurity Month: Returning to Our Roots in Promoting Ethical Research, Transparency, Training, Engagement, and Stewardship of Biosafety and Biosecurity
Robin Tobias, MPH, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
9:35 – 9:50 am Strengthening Facility Management Through Biosafety and Operations & Maintenance Personnel Collaboration and Training
Rachel Gamble, MPH, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Merrick & Company, Arlington, VA
9:50 – 10:05 am TBD
10:05 – 10:20 am Q&A Session

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Restate the BSC function and air cleanliness requirements
  • Describe what has been done at various institutions to promote biosafety and biosecurity month
  • Discuss the benefits of integrating biosafety into training for O&M personnel

Julianne Baron, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Science and Safety Consulting, Venetia, PAJulianne Baron, PhD, RBP(ABSA)
Science and Safety Consulting
Venetia, PA

Julianne L. Baron, PhD, CPH, RBP(ABSA) is an infectious disease microbiologist with specialized expertise in laboratory and biological safety, risk assessments, emergency preparedness and planning, safety training, regulatory compliance, and scientific writing. She received her Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. Dr. Baron then completed the prestigious National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP) postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Baron started Science and Safety Consulting, LLC to provide reliable, factual scientific information to help support her clients in conducting research safely, making educated decisions, and ensuring plan and program compliance. She has supported research laboratories, including high containment labs, and served as Alternate Responsible Official for the CDC’s Federal Select Agent Program. Dr. Baron has developed and provided both general and specialized safety training including Principles and Practices of Biosafety, Bloodborne Pathogens, Respiratory Protection Standard Awareness, and hands-on respirator use and fit testing, to hundreds of individuals. She has assisted professional organizations, research institutions, universities, and businesses with scientific and safety projects that include reviewing training materials and revising Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and safety plans, conducting gap analysis of institutional practices and written procedures, performing experimental decontamination validation, developing OSHA compliant laboratory safety programs, and creating emergency management and pandemic preparedness plans. Dr. Baron has over 15 years of laboratory research experience and has presented her work at national and international conferences. She has authored and co-authored many peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters. Dr. Baron is Certified in Public Health through the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE). She is a Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) through the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) International. She has also received an Advanced Safety Certificate through the National Safety Council.

Robin Tobias, MPH, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MNRobin Tobias is a Biosafety Specialist, Alternate Responsible Official, and the Select Agent Program Coordinator at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. She is the co-chair of the ABSA Public Relations/Marketing Committee. Robin holds an MPH in Environmental Health Sciences and a BA in Biology.

Rachel Gamble, DrPH, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Merrick & Company, Greenwood Village, CORachel Gamble, DrPH, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
Associate Director of Biosafety and Biosecurity
Merrick & Company
Greenwood Village, CO

Dr. Rachel Gamble is the Associate Director, Biorisk Management Programs within Science & Technology in the Life Sciences practice at Merrick. Rachel has 15+ years of experience directing and managing safety programs for two biomedical research institutions with focused experience in biological safety and select agent regulations. She previously served as the Director of the Office for Environmental Safety as well as the director for the high containment/select agent research facility at Baylor College of Medicine. During this time, she also held faculty appointments at The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health in the Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences department and Baylor College of Medicine in the Molecular, Virology, and Microbiology department. She is currently assisting with the stand-up of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, KS, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in addition to various projects for government and academic institutions both domestic and international.

Rachel has been an ABSA member since 2006 and currently serves on the Training Tools and Resources Committee and the Scientific Program Committee. In addition to being an active ABSA member, she is active in her regional ABSA affiliate, the Southern Biosafety Association (SBA) and has held previous positions as the treasurer, vice president, president, and past president. Currently, Dr. Gamble is serving another term as the SBA’s vice president and a reviewer for Applied Biosafety—The Journal of ABSA International.

10:20 – 10:55 am Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break

Session X Eagleson Lecture Award

Introduction: Mary Ann Sondrini, Eagleson Institute, Sanford, ME
Moderator: Shane Gillooly, MS, RBP(ABSA), University of Miami/Advarra, Miami, FL

10:55 – 11:55 am The Growing Threat of Lyme Disease: Where Do We Stand?
Richard Marconi, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA

Eagleson Lecture Award recipient, Richard Marconi, PhD, at ABSA International's 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference, October, 2022

Shane D. Gillooly, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), University of Miami & Advarra, Coral Gables, FLShane Gillooly is a Vice Chair with Advarra and is the Biosafety Officer at the University of Miami. He has been working in the field of biosafety since 2011 and has multiple safety certifications, including RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), and CSP. He has a MS in Biology and a BS in Biomedical Engineering. He is the Treasurer for SEBSA and serves as the Co-chair of the Education Committee.

11:55 – 1:30 pm Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch

Session XI Poster Session

12:30 – 1:30 pm Presenters must be available during the session.

Session XII Public Health

Moderators: Meghan Seltzer, PhD, RBP(ABSA), The MITRE Corporation, Leesburg, VA
Betsy Matos, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), Iowa State University, Ames, IA

1:30 – 1:45 pm The 2021 Global Health Security Index–Measuring Biosafety and Biosecurity Capacities
Gabrielle Essix, MS, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Washington, DC
1:45 – 2:00 pm Public Biosafety: The Intersections of Personal Scientific Responsibility and Public Health
Dana Krauss, Noblis ESI, Lorton, VA
2:00 – 2:15 pm Building Biosafety Across Non-Traditional Testing Sites During COVID-19 and Beyond
Michael Marsico, MS, APHL, Silver Spring, MD
2:15 – 2:30 pm Empirical Studies in Biosafety
Rocco Casagrande, PhD, Gryphon Scientific, Washington, DC
2:30 – 3:00 pm Q&A Session

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Summarize the findings of the 2021 GHS Index, specifically focusing on biosafety, biosecurity, and dual-use
    research oversight
  • Qualify and quantify the value of a “public biosafety” approach exemplified by a segmented exploration of the
    public biosafety definition
  • Identify biosafety and biosecurity resources to distribute to non-traditional testing sites
  • Restate empirical methods for generating needed data informing biorisk management

Meghan Seltzer, PhD, RBP(ABSA), The MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA
Meghan Seltzer is a Lead Technical Assessor with The MITRE Corporation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Pennsylvania State University, a doctorate in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a master’s degree in Management, Strategy, and Leadership from Michigan State University. Meghan is a Registered Biosafety Professional and began her biosafety career as a fellow in the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program. After completing her fellowship, she worked at HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus as a manager in the Safety, Health, and Security department. During her tenure at HHMI, she was responsible for biosafety and occupational health programs as well as various research compliance efforts including IACUC, CLIA, dangerous goods shipping, import/export compliance, IRB, and IBC. Meghan is active in ABSA and ChABSA where she has served on numerous committees and council for both organizations.

Jessica Bell, MS, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Washington, Dist. of Columbia, United StatesJessica A. Bell is a Senior Director for NTI’s Global Biological Policy and Programs team (NTI | bio). In this role, she leads the Global Health Security Index, an assessment and benchmarking of 195 countries and their national health security capacities. Jessica is also responsible for NTI | bio’s advocacy efforts, promoting data-driven decision-making around concrete steps to enhance leadership and resources for biosecurity, biosafety, and global health security. Prior to joining NTI, Bell served as a Senior Advisor to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, where she helped to shape CTR’s strategic messaging, engage key stakeholders across the nuclear, chemical, and biological threat reduction communities, and coordinate congressional and departmental requirements. She also served in a Booz Allen leadership role supporting the Biological Threat Reduction Program, where she assisted in the development of programmatic guidance, threat-reduction metrics, and requirements documentation while also managing a large team of global health specialists. At Booz Allen, Bell consulted for multiple offices within the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Health Affairs. She also served as an operational research and development team member of ‘Project Argus,’ a disease-prevention initiative at Georgetown University focused on detecting catastrophic biological events on an international scale. She holds an MS in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases from Georgetown University, a BS in Forensic Biology from West Virginia University, and certifications as a Change Management Advanced Practitioner, a Project Management Professional, and an ICAgile Professional.

Dana Krauss, BS, Noblis ESI, Lorton, VADana is an MS Candidate at Georgetown University studying Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases and holds a BS in Public Health and Bioinformatics from George Washington University. Dana is a certified Emergency Medical Technician, a previous Fellow for the Elizabeth R. Griffin Program at the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science & Security, and has worked with several biosafety and biosecurity implementers, think tanks, and academic institutions as an early-career professional. She has a research background in global health security, emergency preparedness, and medical anthropology.

Michael Marsico, MS, APHL, Silver Spring, MDMichael Marsico serves as the Manager in Biosafety and Biosecurity under the Public Health Preparedness and Response Program at the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Michael is responsible for serving as subject matter expert to assist Public Health Laboratories (PHLs) with strengthening biosafety and biosecurity capacity; this encompasses developing tools and providing guidance including biosafety training to PHLs and developing a community of practice for biosafety professionals. Michael received his Bachelor of Science from the University of New Haven followed by a Master of Science in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases at Georgetown University.

Rocco Casagrande, PhD, Gryphon Scientific, Takoma Park, MDDr. Rocco Casagrande is a founder and Chair of the Board of Gryphon Scientific, a life sciences consultancy. With a degree from Cornell in Biology and Chemistry and an MIT PhD in Biology, Dr. Casagrande applies quantitative and systematic analysis to tackle some of the most daunting problems to manage scientific risks. Over the past two decades, the work of Dr. Casagrande and his team formed the basis of the US Government’s and WHO’s policies on biosecurity and biosafety, including US guidance on the manufacture and sale of synthetic DNA, the US policy on the oversight on research on pathogens with pandemic potential, and the design and operations of high containment laboratories and laboratories that will continue to study poliovirus after eradication. Currently, Dr. Casagrande is focused on generating data to inform biorisk management and improve biosafety in containment laboratories.

Luis Ochoa Carrera, MSc, Michigan State University, Lansing, MIMr. Ochoa currently serves as the High-Containment Lab/Pandemic Safety Manager and Alternate Responsible Official (RO) for the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at Michigan State University. From October 2019 to June 2021, he worked as the Director of the Epidemiological Surveillance and Research Laboratory Network of the Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS) from the Ministry of Health in Mexico. From March 2013 to October 2019, he served as BSL-3 Lab Coordinator at the National Reference Laboratory in Mexico. Prior to his current position, he received a Master´s Degree in Public Health Management focused on Biological Risk Management. He has been an ABSA member since 2014, served as the Chair of the Publications Committee, member of the International Engagement Committee, member of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Working Group, and international editor for Applied Biosafety Journal. As one of the eighteen founding members and past President of the AMEXBIO, he has strengthened the network between biosafety professionals in the region and helped to create strategic alliances with international and national institutions. Additionally, Mr. Ochoa has served as a mentor of the International Twinning Project from Sandia National Laboratories, the Next Generation Global Health Security Network, and the IFBA Mentorship Program since 2021. In addition, Mr. Ochoa serves as Senior Advisor for PandemicTech, a virtual incubator that enables innovative approaches to confronting infectious disease threats and is a Certified Biosafety Professional from IFBA in four disciplines: Biorisk Management, Biological Risk Assessment, Biocontainment Facility Design, Operations and & Maintenance, and Biosafety Cabinet Selection, Installation and Safe Use.

Shane D. Gillooly, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), University of Miami & Advarra, Coral Gables, FLShane Gillooly is a Vice Chair with Advarra and is the Biosafety Officer at the University of Miami. He has been working in the field of biosafety since 2011 and has multiple safety certifications, including RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), and CSP. He has a MS in Biology and a BS in Biomedical Engineering. He is the Treasurer for SEBSA and serves as the Co-chair of the Education Committee.

Peili Zhu, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CAPeili Zhu, MD, PhD, RBP(ABSA)
University of California – San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

Peili Zhu has been working as the Biosafety Officer at University of California – San Francisco since 2010. She received her MD from the Southeast University of China in 1983 and PhD from the Basel University of Switzerland in 1994. She has worked 6 years in medical clinics, 7 years in biomedical research and 20 years in the Biosafety and Biosecurity field. As the BSO of UCSF, she oversees the UCSF Biosafety Program which consists of more than 700 bio-medical research laboratories and several BSL-3/ABSL-3 high containment facilities. She is very familiar with various federal, state, and local laws, policies and regulations relating to Biosafety/Biosecurity and has extensive experience overseeing the operations of BSL-2/ABSL-2 and BSL-3/ABSL-3 facilities. As the Responsible Official of the UCSF Select Agent program, she also has significant knowledge of Select Agent regulations and biosecurity.

3:00 – 3:30 pm Coffee Break, Posters, and Exhibits

Exhibitor Raffle Prize Drawing—Must be present to win.

Raffle winner: 2022 ABSA International Conference

Session XIII Evolving Biosafety Roundtable

3:30 – 5:00 pm Moderator: Daniel Eisenman, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Advarra, Research
Triangle Park, NC
Panelists: Colleen Kovacsics, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Sparks Therapeutics, Elkins Park, PA, Jessica
Avizinis, MS, RBP(ABSA), Pfizer Santford, Sanford, NC, Aparupa Sengupta, PhD, RBP(ABSA),
NTI Bio, Washington, DC

Daniel Eisenman, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Advarra, Research Triangle Park, NC

Daniel Eisenman, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM)
Executive Director of Biosafety Services
Advarra
Research Triangle Park, NC

Dan Eisenman is Executive Director of Biosafety Services at Advarra, a large clinical research compliance company. Dan heads a commercial IBC with over 1,000 clinical and basic science research sites across North America. Prior to joining Advarra Dan was the Biosafety Officer at the Medical University of South Carolina and UNC Chapel Hill. Dan holds a PhD in molecular biology and immunology, various biosafety certifications (RBP, SM(NRCM), CBSP) and a Regulatory Affairs Pharmaceuticals certificate from the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society.

Jessica Avizinis, RBP(ABSA), Pfizer, Sanford, NCJessica Avizinis serves as the Environment Health & Safety (EHS) Lead at Pfizer Sanford’s Vaccine & Gene Therapy Manufacturing Facility. Previously, as the Biosafety subject matter expert in the Global EHS organization, Jess evaluated biosafety programs in the US and abroad. She holds a BS in Wildlife Conservation Biology, an MS Medical Laboratory Science and is an RBP(ABSA).

Aparupa Sengupta, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Washington, DCDr. Aparupa Sengupta serves as a Senior Program Officer for NTI’s Global Biological Policy and Programs team NTI | bio. In this role, she supports the Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative (BIRRI) to reduce risks of biotechnology catastrophe. This includes efforts to advance the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science, a new international entity NTI is launching to safeguard science and reduce the risk of catastrophic events that could result from deliberate abuse or accidental misuse of bioscience and biotechnology. Dr. Sengupta is an accomplished scientist and global health security practitioner with more than 15 years of research, regulatory, and training experience across the fields of infectious disease containment, biosafety and biosecurity, and global biological risk reduction. Prior to joining NTI in 2022, she served at the University of California-Merced campus, where she initiated and led their biosafety and biosecurity programs, first, as the campus biosafety-biosecurity officer since May 2018 and then as the Assistant Director for Environmental Health and Safety and Director of High Containment Research Laboratories. Dr. Sengupta is an active member of ABSA International, where she plays key leadership roles in multiple committees; to highlight- Chair, Publications Committee and Co-Chair, International Engagement Committee. She also teaches pre-conference courses in the field of gene editing and related to other emerging technologies, and she has been invited to give many talks in the U.S. and internationally, advocating for the safe and secure use of emerging recombinant technologies in the evolving field of biosciences. Dr. Sengupta holds a PhD in Microbiology & Applied Biochemistry and MS in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology from Michigan Technological University and a MSc in Biotechnology from Bangalore University, India. Sengupta is also a Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) with ABSA International.

6:00 – 10:00 pm Banquet at the Milwaukee Public Museum

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

7:00 – 5:00 pm Registration

8:00 – 8:05 am Welcome
Master of Ceremonies
President-Elect: TBA

Session XIV Field and Applied Biosafety

Moderators: Shelley Jones, RBP(ABSA), Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ and Gary Coulson, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Clinical Biosafety Services, Chesterfield, MO

8:05 – 8:25 am Field Safety Considerations During Work with Bats
Gregory L. Powell, PhD, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
8:25 – 8:45 am Finding Prions… When You Don’t Work with Prions
Shane Gillooly, MS, RBP(ABSA), University of Miami/Advarra, Miami, FL
8:45 – 9:05 am Biosafety Challenges for Animal Imaging Facility
Peili Zhu, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of California-San Francisco, CA
9:05 – 9:35 am Q&A Session

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Identify potential risks that can affect or interfere with field research activities when working with bats
  • Identify the risk assessment process required for prion work
  • Integrate efforts between the Biosafety team, labs, IACUC, LARC, and OHS personnel to ensure an optimal safe
    working environment for animal care staff and laboratory personnel at all times

Shelley Jones, MS, RBP(ABSA), Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ

Shelley Jones, MS, RBP, is the Director of Biological Safety and Responsible Official at Northern Arizona University. She received her B.S. from Illinois State University and her M.S. from Arizona State University, both in environmental disciplines. Shelley has over 30 years of diverse experience in environmental health and safety. She has been a Responsible Official/Alternate Responsible Official for 18 years.

Garry Coulson, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Sabai Global, Chesterfield, MO

Garry has over 17 years of biomedical research experience in university, government, and private research settings. He has a wide range of experience in microbiology, molecular biology, immunology, and has experience serving as the Biological Safety Officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently serving as IBC Chair of Clinical Biosafety Services. He holds a master’s degree in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases and a doctorate in infectious diseases. Our focus is to accelerate the trial and remove regulatory burden and uncertainty by having our highly trained experts provide friendly, knowledgeable support during the review process. We understand these therapeutics will change medicine, and our service is to bring the trial to enrollment fruition, quickly and compliantly.

Shane D. Gillooly, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), University of Miami & Advarra, Coral Gables, FLShane Gillooly is a Vice Chair with Advarra and is the Biosafety Officer at the University of Miami. He has been working in the field of biosafety since 2011 and has multiple safety certifications, including RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), and CSP. He has a MS in Biology and a BS in Biomedical Engineering. He is the Treasurer for SEBSA and serves as the Co-chair of the Education Committee.

Peili Zhu, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CAPeili Zhu has been working as the Biosafety Officer at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) since 2010. She received her MD from the Southeast University of China in 1983 and PhD from the Basel University of Switzerland in 1994. She has worked 6 years in medical clinics, 7 years in biomedical research and 20 years at EH&S. As the BSO of UCSF, she oversees the UCSF Biosafety Program which consists of more than 700 bio-medical research laboratories and several BSL-3/ABSL-3 high containment facilities. She is very familiar with various Federal, State, and Local laws, policies and regulations relating to Biosafety/Biosecurity and has extensive experience overseeing the operations of BSL-3/ABSL-3 facilities. As the Responsible Official of the UCSF Select Agent program, she also has significant knowledge of Select Agent regulations and biosecurity.

9:35 – 9:45 am Coffee Break

Session XV Cell and Gene Therapy

Moderators: Michael McCarthy, RBP(ABSA), Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA and Larry Mendoza, RBP(ABSA), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

9:45 – 10:05 am Real-World Scenario Risk Assessment for Tech Transfer of MCB From Development to Commercial-Scale Cell & Gene Therapy Manufacturing
Kimberly DiGiandomenico, MS, RBP(ABSA), AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD
10:05 – 10:25 am Novel Biotherapeutics: Control Strategy Challenges in the Absence of Mature Industrial Hygiene Methodology and Toxicological Data
Jessica Avizinis, MS, RBP(ABSA), Pfizer, Sanford, NC
10:25 – 10:45 am Occupational Exposure Risks When Working with Protein Therapeutics and the Development of a Biologics Banding System
Elise Franklin, MS, RBP(ABSA), Bristol Myers Squibb, Asbury, NJ
10:45 – 11:15 am Q&A Session

11:15 – 11:30 am Applied Biosafety: Journal of ABSA International Special Announcement
Barbara Johnson, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Biosafety Biosecurity International, Merritt Island, FL

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Identify the complexity of the risk assessment process from development to GMP manufacturing
  • Paraphrase the benefits and challenges to operating by the precautionary principle
  • Explain the review of IH retrospective data to demonstrate low exposure potential of Protein Therapeutic (PTs)
    during development and manufacturing processes

Kimberly DiGiandomenico, MS, RBP(ABSA), AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MDKimberly DiGiandomenico serves as the Biological Safety Officer and SHE Associate Director-Research & Animal Safety at AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD. She has been in the safety profession for over 15 years in academic, government and biopharma industries and is also a Registered Biosafety Professional. Highlights of her safety career include publication in the peer reviewed journal Applied Biosafety, Past-President of the Pharmaceutical Biosafety Group, 2021 AstraZeneca OneSHE Excellence Award – Stay Safe for development of AZ’s first high throughput CLIA certified lab, 2020 AstraZeneca CEO award – COVID Award “Keeping People Safe” and recipient of the National Poster Award at the 57th American Biological Safety Association Biosafety Conference.

Jessica Avizinis, RBP(ABSA), Pfizer, Sanford, NCJessica Avizinis serves as the Environment Health & Safety (EHS) Lead at Pfizer Sanford’s Vaccine & Gene Therapy Manufacturing Facility. Previously, as the Biosafety subject matter expert in the Global EHS organization, Jess evaluated biosafety programs in the US and abroad. She holds a BS in Wildlife Conservation Biology, an MS Medical Laboratory Science and is an RBP(ABSA).

Elise Franklin, MS, RBP(ABSA), Bristol Myers Squibb, Asbury, NJElise Franklin is a CIH, CSP and RBP(ABSA) with over 30 years of experience in the EHS field. She is currently a Director at Bristol Myers Squibb where she manages the corporate wide biosafety program overseeing 20+ sites as well as responsibilities for ergonomic and industrial hygiene programs. She has been with Bristol Myers Squibb for 12 years. Prior to Bristol Myers Squibb she worked in consulting, academia, biotech, high technology and heavy industry where she managed IH, biosafety and safety programs. She received her BS from Colorado State University, her MS from University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and her MBA from Babson College.

Session XVI Richard Knudsen Award

Moderator: Darlene Ward, RBP(ABSA), Advarra, Boca Raton, FL

11:30 – 12:00 pm Efficacy Testing of Personal Protective Filters on Biosafety Level 4 Positive Pressure Suits
Jay Krishnan, CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Darlene Ward, RBP(ABSA), Advarra, Boca Raton, FLDarlene Ward, RBP works for Advarra as the Vice-Chair for the IBC Committee and is the Senior Facility Inspector. Before joining Advarra, she worked for over 28 years in the Higher Ed Environmental Health and Safety field as a Biosafety Officer and Responsible Official overseeing researchers working with infectious diseases, recombinant DNA and select agents. She has a BS in Environmental Science from Florida State University and has been a member of ABSA for over 20 years serving on the Scientific Program and Preconference Course Committees.

12:00 – 1:30 pm Honor Awards and Special Recognition Luncheon

Presenter: LouAnn Burnett, MS, CBSP(ABSA), Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

Arnold G. Wedum Distinguished Achievement Award
Everett J. Hanel, Jr. Presidential Award
John H. Richardson Special Recognition Award
Diane Fleming Leadership Award
Scientific and Informational Poster Awards
Hashimoto Award for Service and Honor
Richard Rebar Recognition of Certified Biological Safety Professionals and Registered Biosafety Professionals

HASH Award recipients, Geoffrey Phillips, Kathleen Kennedy and Ray Sheetz, at ABSA International's 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference, October, 2022

Session XVII Animal Biosafety Roundtable

1:30 – 3:00 pm Moderator: Susan Vleck, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Panelists: Kelly Flint, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), National Institutes of Health and Frederick, MD and Peili Zhu, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of California, San Francisco, CA

Peili Zhu, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CAPeili Zhu has been working as the Biosafety Officer at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) since 2010. She received her MD from the Southeast University of China in 1983 and PhD from the Basel University of Switzerland in 1994. She has worked 6 years in medical clinics, 7 years in biomedical research and 20 years at EH&S. As the BSO of UCSF, she oversees the UCSF Biosafety Program which consists of more than 700 bio-medical research laboratories and several BSL-3/ABSL-3 high containment facilities. She is very familiar with various Federal, State, and Local laws, policies and regulations relating to Biosafety/Biosecurity and has extensive experience overseeing the operations of BSL-3/ABSL-3 facilities. As the Responsible Official of the UCSF Select Agent program, she also has significant knowledge of Select Agent regulations and biosecurity.

3:00 – 3:15 pm Coffee Break

Session XVIII Engineering Controls and Decontamination

Moderators: George Wudiri, DVM, PhD, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM and Kelly Flint, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD

3:15 – 3:30 pm Quantitative Methodology for Validating Decontaminations with Hydrogen Peroxide–An Alternative for Biological Indicators
Miguel A. Grimaldo, MEng, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
3:30 – 3:45 pm What is Bugging my Biosafety Cabinet
Sarah Capasso, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
3:45 – 4:00 pm BSC MythBusters: How Much Space Around a BSC is required to Maintain Proper Protection?
Kara Held, PhD, Baker, Sanford, ME
4:00 – 4:15 pm Navigating the Unknown: Extending the Longevity of a Ten-Year Old Effluent Decontamination System
Aleah Cutshall, BS, CURIS System, Oviedo, FL
4:15 – 4:45 pm Q&A Session

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Review the results of the testing of the enzyme indicator (EI) technology as a replacement of biological indicators
    (BI) for the validation of decontaminations using H2O2
  • Restate the immediate actions needed to stop an insect infestation in laboratory equipment
  • Outline the BSC function and protection requirements through smoke patterning, particle counter measurement,
    and microbiological aerosol testing
  • Investigate the historical products and methods for decontamination of effluent chambers
Miguel Grimaldo, DSc, MEng, University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, Galveston, TX

Miguel A. Grimaldo, DSc., MEng., is an Assistant Professor for the Department of Pathology and the Director of Institutional Biocontainment Resources at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. He is also the Director of the Biocontainment Engineering Division for the Galveston National Laboratory. His responsibilities include reviewing all design, construction, commissioning, and operation of UTMB’s containment laboratories. He also ensures regulatory compliance and conducts ongoing evaluation and recertification on all critical containment features, equipment, and operations for Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3), Animal Biosafety Level 3 (ABSL3), and Biosafety Level 4 (BSL4) laboratory facilities at UTMB. He also is a member of the UTMB Institutional Biosafety Committee. Dr. Grimaldo obtained two Bachelor of Science degrees in the fields of Agricultural Engineering and Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University (USA), his Master of Engineering in Engineering Management from the University of Louisville (USA), and his Doctorate in Applied Biochemistry from the Federal University of Vicosa, Minas Gerais (Brazil). Before coming to UTMB in 2005, he worked for 13 years for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the US Embassy in Panama, where he was involved with USDA’s Foot and Mouth Disease Prevention Program as well as the Screwworm Eradication Program. Dr. Grimaldo has served as Committee Member for the development of the ANSI Z9.14-2014 Standard – Testing and Performance-Verification Methodologies for Ventilation Systems for Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) and Animal Biosafety Level 3 (ABSL-3) Facilities as well as for the 2016 Edition of the National Institute of Health (NIH) – Design Requirements Manual (DRM) for Biomedical Laboratories and Animal Research Facilities. He routinely serves as Biorisk and Biocontainment Advisor for containment laboratories nationally and internationally on design, construction and operations.

Sarah Capasso, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PADr. Sarah Capasso has been an Assistant Biosafety Officer at the University of Pennsylvania since 2017. She obtained her BS in Biology from Gettysburg College in 2008 and her MS and PhD in Plant Pathology from Penn State University in 2010 and 2016, respectively. At Penn, she works closely with researchers, the Institutional Biosafety Committee, the Office of Animal Welfare, and University Laboratory Animal Resources. Among her many duties, she currently administers the biosafety cabinet program, working closely with researchers and vendors to ensure biosafety cabinets are maintained, certified, and repaired in a timely manner.

Kara Held, PhD, Baker, Sanford, MEKara Held, PhD brings an extensive knowledge of Cell Biology, Pharmacology, and Biosafety. Prior to her joining Baker, she was a Lab Manager, Safety Officer, and Researcher at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. She earned her PhD at the University of Vermont Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and then completed her postdoctoral training at Yale University in the Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program. Her recent experience in academic research brings a unique perspective, familiarity and hands-on knowledge base with laboratory science. As the Science Director for Baker, she has helped provide some clarity into the nuances of biosafety through the use of biosafety cabinets.

Aleah Cutshall, CURIS System, Oviedo, FLAleah Cutshall holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Central Florida and joined CURIS in 2019. Serving as Systems Integration Engineer and leading the Research and Development team, Aleah specializes in testing and implementation of current products as well as the development of new products. Additionally, by providing education and training via presentations and webinars, Aleah melds her passion for helping others with the ability to develop cutting-edge technologies that create safer environments.

4:45 pm Close of Conference
President-Elect: TBA

Outgoing President, LouAnn Burnett, MS, CBSP(ABSA), and incoming President, Rebecca Moritz, MS, RBP(ABSA), at ABSA International's 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference, October, 2022