Professional Development Courses
All times listed are in CENTRAL TIME ZONE
Saturday Courses
Saturday, October 14, 2023
CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Room 206
4. Facilities Fundamentals for Biosafety Professionals
This course is aimed at strengthening safety at biocontainment facilities by helping biosafety professionals understand how facility operations support overall biocontainment operations. Through a mixture of presentations from experts in the field and interactive exercises, participants will reinforce their knowledge of discrete facility system function and ways individual systems complement each other holistically in operating biocontainment facilities. Participants will gain practical knowledge of related facility issues (e.g., facility design, maintenance, performance verification, and waste management) and their roles in them. The target audience for the course is biosafety professionals who come with backgrounds other than facilities, and it is open to both newcomers and seasoned veterans in biosafety.
Objectives:
- Clarify the practical knowledge gained of facility issues (e.g., design, maintenance, and performance verification) and their roles in them
- Develop an understanding of specific infrastructure, equipment, and systems related to the operation of a biocontainment facility
- Interpret how specific facility systems operate and support biocontainment
Suggested Background: Fundamentals of Biosafety, Risk Assessment, Principles and Practices of Biosafety
Target Audience: All Safety Professionals, All Biosafety Professionals, Facilities Personnel
PDC Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
J. Paul Jennette, MS, PE, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
Biosafety Engineer
Director of Biocontainment Operations
Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine
Ithaca, NY
Paul Jennette holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Environmental Engineering from Cornell and the University of Massachusetts, respectively, and is both a Registered Professional Engineer and a Certified Biological Safety Professional. Since 1999, he has held the position of Biosafety Engineer at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine and has also been the Director of Biocontainment Operations there since 2013. Paul’s responsibilities include: design, verification, operation, decontamination, and program management related to Cornell’s BSL-3, ACL-3, and ABSL-3 facilities, which include both research & diagnostic laboratories as well as a BSL-3 large animal necropsy; training all Cornell BSL-3 scientific and support staff and providing direct, in-containment support for BSL-3 diagnostic operations; directing the operations of Cornell’s medical and pathological waste treatment facility, which includes a 5,000-lb/batch carcass digester; serving on Cornell’s Institutional Biosafety Committee and directing the Cornell Vet College Rabies Risk Management Program. Paul serves on biosecurity teams for Select Agent Labs at the Cornell Vet College and provides technical support for the College’s effluent decontamination systems. He served as the American Biological Safety Association’s representative on the ANSI committee to develop a national standard for the verification of BSL-3 facility performance, is a reviewer and lead author of a technical column for the Applied Biosafety journal, and is a member of ABSA’s Professional Development Team. He is a former co-chair of ABSA’s Principles & Practices of Biosafety class as well as a regular instructor for BSL-3 courses offered by the Eagleson Institute and ABSA. In addition to his position at Cornell, Paul provides biocontainment operations consulting services to a variety of academic, governmental, and pharmaceutical clients.
Rachel 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.
Aurel Tamburri, MS, CRSP(CABS)
Director – Research Safety & Compliance
Univeristy of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Aurel Tamburri has over 25 years of progressive experience in laboratory operations, safety and support services. Since 2000, Aurel has held a number of key leadership roles with the Ontario Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario and most recently with the University of Toronto. His area of expertise includes safety and biorisk management, laboratory operations, process design, program management and regulatory compliance. Aurel received a Master’s Degree in Health Management from Mc Master University, a graduate diploma in Occupational Health, Safety & Environmental Medicine from Mc Master University, a diploma in Medical Laboratory Science from the Michener Institute and is qualified as a Canadian Registered Safety Professional. Over the years, Aurel has managed a number of clinical and service related program areas, led a number of initiatives in process and quality improvements, transition plans and continues to build efficiencies within laboratory operations.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 1.0 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 7.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
5. Facility Commissioning and Recommissioning for BSL-3 Laboratory
By understanding the commissioning and recommissioning processes, it can assist the biosafety professional in start-up or maintaining their laboratory operations to perform the program. Laboratory commissioning, identified in containment guidance documents, is a quality assurance process for the effective functioning of biocontainment laboratories. The biosafety officer and other decision makers benefit by having a basic understanding of the commissioning and recommissioning processes and resulting documentation. This course will review the phases of the new facility commissioning process and similar process for recommissioning. This knowledge base allows the biosafety professional to recognize how commissioning assists in providing and documenting a properly operating facility. A review of the secondary containment features of the BSL-3 laboratory will be disucssed and note specific issues typically observed. There will be a focus on two issues, the reversal of directional airflow and sealing of surfaces and penetrations. Participants will consider methods to identify the issues and present some specific mitigations of these issues; can actively participate in the commissioning/recommissioning processes and understand the methodology, the tools, results, and their interpretation; will know their facility operates correctly, its limitations, and the risk when it does not. This knowledge allows the biosafety professional to check or back check the containment spaces’ performance and use this knowledge to perform daily inspections for maintenance or replacement and control risk to the lowest level. The biosafety professional can identify required features in a new laboratory or review an existing lab with a better understanding of typical issues to assure safe reliable operations.
Objectives:
- Develop an understanding of the overall commissioning and recommissioning processes for containment labs
- Articulate the engineering controls required and effectively participate in the processes
- Identify typical issues observed during commissioning/recommissioning of the laboratory secondary containment barriers and the options for practical solutions to those issues
- Demonstrate a knowledge base and provide documentation to better perform daily inspections to reduce risk for safe and reliable laboratory operations
Suggested Background: None
Target Audience: All Safety Professionals, Laboratory Workers, Operations and Maintenance Personnel
PDC Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
Joby Evans, PE, CAC, CBCP
Commissioning Engineer/Technical Lead
Georgia Engineering LLC
Atlanta, GA
Joby Evans has over 35 years in facilities commissioning, support, design, engineering, energy management, and processes for consulting engineering firms, performance contracting group, natural gas distributor, and an international architect/developer. Mr. Evans is proficient in commissioning and in recommissioning high-containment facilities, analyzing the interaction between designs and energy consumption in commercial and industrial facilities and has extensive experience in building commissioning and system design and coordination. He has performed commissioning for BSL-4, BSL-3Ag, BSL-3 laboratories using BMBL, NIH, WHO, ANSI biosafety guidelines. His work has been in the United States and in international locations. Mr. Evans has performed re-commissioning and retro-commissioning on many non-containment facilities including headquarters facilities, hangers, office buildings, etc. He is a Registered Professional Engineer, Licensed Mechanical Contractor, Certified Building Commissioning Professional, Certified Energy Manager, Certified Green Building Engineer, and Guiding Principles Compliance Professional.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 1.0 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 7.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Room 207
6. Engineering for the Biosafety Professional Part II
Proactive biosafety professionals need to be involved and knowledgeable in the operation, maintenance, and certification of their containment facilities and building systems. Frequently, the biosafety professional is called upon to participate in the planning, design, and validation of a new biocontainment laboratory or renovation of an existing facility. This course provides basic engineering principles that are useful in the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of a BSL-3 or high-containment facility. The principles are expanded to BSL-4 or maximum containment facilities for clarity between BSL-3 and BSL-4 requirements. To participate in these activities, the biosafety professional will need a foundation of engineering fundamentals, skills to ask questions in engineering terms, and the confidence to question the answers. Topics covered include interpreting architectural and engineering drawings including plan views, personnel and waste flows, scaling, calculating air changes, and an in-depth review of HVAC drawings, airflow reversal mitigation, and engineering redundancies. There will be a review of commissioning and certification processes, including elements of ventilation assessment. Individual and group exercises will be conducted for practical application of principles presented. Building on “Engineering for the Biosafety Professional – Part I,” this course will integrate examples that show cause and effect in real-life scenarios.
Objectives:
- Discuss engineering principles
- Apply engineering assessment tools for architectural and engineering drawings
- Evaluate engineering solutions
Suggested Background: Fundamentals of Biosafety, Engineering for the Biosafety Profession Part 1 (preferred)
Target Audience: All Safety Professionals, New Biosafety Professionals
PDC Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
Juan Osorio, IE
Chief Operating Officer
World BioHazTec Corporation
Pasadena, MD
Juan Osorio provides consulting in engineering with a focus in high and maximum containment laboratories (BSL-3 and BSL-4), biomedical facilities, hospitals and research facilities. In this role, he consults with clients regarding laboratory planning, programming, commissioning, validation and third party certification activities for significant biocontainment, laboratory, vivarium, safety and healthcare projects. Mr. Osorio has consulted, reviewed, validated, and certified biocontainment laboratories, mission critical government institutions, vivaria, and world-class medical facilities. He has vast experience in the high- and maximum containment fields and participates on biocontainment projects in the United States, Asia, and South America. Mr. Osorio contributes to the design, construction, validation, third-party certification, and maintenance of such facilities. He has served frequently as a consultant for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for industrial engineering issues in biocontainment, general laboratory, hospital, and vivarium projects. He has assisted in the development of high- and maximum containment government guidelines and regulations for the NIH.
Theodore Traum PE, CCP, DGCP
Principal Engineer and Board Member
World BioHazTec Corporation
Pasadena, MD
Theodore (Ted) Traum has over thirty years of experience in engineering with a focus in high- and maximum containment laboratories (BSL-3 and BSL-4), biomedical facilities, hospitals and researchfacilities. In this role, he consults with clients and oversees laboratory planning, programming, commissioning, validation, and third-party certification activities for significant biocontainment, laboratory, vivarium, safety and healthcare projects. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Mr. Traum received a considerable influx of biosafety and biocontainment projects to combat bioterrorism. Capitalizing on his niche expertise in this fast growing industry and its previous work with the JCAHO statement of conditions, Mr. Traum focused his business development efforts towards developing acertification program for biocontainment laboratories, their design, construction, operation, biosafety consultation, and maintenance through World BioHazTec (WBHT). Being one of the only few firms in the United States with a significant level of expertise and previous success in niche projects for the healthcare and research laboratories, Mr. Traum became sought after nationally and internationally as the premier consultant for oversight, management, and certification of biocontainment facilities. Mr. Traum has consulted, reviewed, validated, and certified biocontainment laboratories, mission critical government institutions, vivaria, and world-class medical facilities. He is a highly respected professional engineer in the high- and maximum containment field and is sought worldwide for his experienceand expertise in design, construction, third-party certification, and maintenance of such facilities. He has served frequently as a consultant for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for HVAC, mechanical, and industrial engineering issues in biocontainment, general laboratory, hospital, and vivarium projects.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 1.0 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 7.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Room 208
7. Animal Research for Biosafety Professionals – Advanced
This course builds on general principles presented in the introductory class (Animal Research for Biosafety Professionals—An Introduction) and focuses on complex animal and research-based scenarios that present unique and challenging safety concerns. Topics include viral vectors; patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and humanized animals; nanoparticles; cytotoxic drugs; arthropod containment within a vivarium; aquatic animal models; wildlife species; biosecurity challenges; facility design; animal imaging; high-containment; animal program disaster planning; and management of chemical and biological wastes (e.g., bedding and carcasses). Proven strategies for optimizing safety program outcomes through constructive partnerships between various disciplines, including safety professionals and key animal program representatives will be presented. The course will be highly interactive and focus on problem-based learning through scenarios and interactive exercises that illustrate “real world” examples in research facilities, diagnostic laboratories, and teaching programs that use animals. Participants will practice developing strategies to identify potential hazards, assess the magnitude and extent of induced risks, learn about case-specific variables that can influence management options, and implement effective and cost-efficient control measures that protect the safety of workers, animals, and the environment.
Objectives:
- Review hazard identification and risk assessment strategies as they pertain to a variety of animal models, including aquatics and wildlife, and complex animal facility environments
- Apply effective control strategies for unique animal hazards through proactive experimental design and facility management procedures
- Identify ways safety professionals can partner with animal program personnel to address new and emerging safety issues associated with animal-based research
Suggested Background: Basic knowledge of, and experience with, identifying and managing common hazards found in animal research (Animal Research for Biosafety Professionals – An Introduction)
Target Audience: Experienced Biosafety Professionals, All Safety Professionals, Laboratory Workers, Experienced IACUC and Safety Committee Members
PDC Level: Advanced
COURSE FACULTY
Susan Harper, DVM, DACLAM, DACVPM, RBP(ABSA)
Deputy Director
Office of Animal Care and Use
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD
Dr. Susan Harper received her DVM from Louisiana State University and worked in large animal practice for several years before enrolling in a post-doctoral residency in comparative medicine at the Penn State University College of Medicine. She served on the Penn State faculty for 2 years following graduation, before accepting a position with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She has worked at several different Departments and Agencies during her federal career and currently serves as the Deputy Director for the NIH Office of Animal Care and Use in Bethesda, MD. She is a diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) and the American College of Veterinary Preventative Medicine (ACVPM); a Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) through ABSA International; and serves on the AAALAC International Council on Accreditation.
Lesley Colby, DVM, DACLAM
Professor
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Dr. Lesley A. Colby is a Professor at the University of Washington (UW) in the Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM). In addition to her clinical, instructional, and research activities, her responsibilities include oversight of the daily operations of DCM-managed animal research facilities as well as coordination of the renovation, design, and construction of animal research facilities. Dr. Colby also serves as Director of the UW BSL3/ABSL3 Select Agent Facility and is a member of the UW Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). Dr. Colby earned her BS in Animal Science from Virginia Tech and both her DVM and MS from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM). After working as a small animal practitioner in Montana, she returned to VMRCVM to complete a postdoctoral training program in Laboratory Animal Medicine. She then joined the faculty at the University of Michigan’s Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine for 10 years during which time she served as Assistant Director as well as Director of their clinical laboratory animal medicine post-doctoral training program and Director of the University’s BSL3/ABSL3 Select Agent Facility. Dr. Colby is board certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and is a member of the AAALAC International Council on Accreditation. She frequently collaborates with health and safety professionals in numerous aspects of her position and has special interest in facility design, biological containment, teaching, and occupational health and safety.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 1.0 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 7.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Room 209
8. Practical Aerobiology Concepts
This course will provide biosafety professionals with an understanding of tools used to generate and sample bioaerosols. Course discussion will cover how bioaerosols are generated, common experimental aerosol generators, and factors that control number of organisms in a single particle. Subsequent material will cover sampling conditions and samplers that are appropriate to collect bioaerosols. The advantages and disadvantages of different bioaerosol generators and samplers will be discussed throughout. Practical application of bioaerosol generators and samplers will be covered both in didactic lecture and small-group activities.
Objectives:
- Describe how bioaerosols are experimentally generated through different aerosol generators
- Identify the factor(s) that control number of organisms contained in a single particle
- Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of different bioaerosol samplers
Suggested Background: Fundamentals of Biosafety, Principles and Practices of Biosafety
Target Audience: All Safety Professionals, New Biosafety Professionals
PDC Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
Althea Treacy, PhD, CBSP(ABSA)
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD
Dr. Treacy is an Associate Biosafety Officer, the Quarantine Permit Service Office Team Lead, and Alternate Responsible Official (Select Agent Program) in the Division of Occupational Health and Safety at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her duties include providing expert safety guidance to researchers working with biological materials and recombinant nucleic acids, reviewing requests to import or export biological materials, delivering safety training to high containment researchers at NIH Bethesda, and mentoring fellows in the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP). Dr. Treacy earned her Bachelor of Science with High Honors in Microbiology from the University of Michigan in 1998 and her PhD from Washington University in St. Louis in the Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program in 2005. During her doctoral work she identified and characterized two UDP-galactose transporters in the protozoan parasite Leishmania major, refining the role of glycoconjugate synthesis in the parasite life cycle and disease pathogenesis. Dr. Treacy then did postdoctoral research at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, and the University of California, Irvine, where she investigated molecular interactions required for arenaviral budding and roles for the arenaviral matrix protein in viral RNA synthesis and infection. While at UC-Irvine, she also mentored undergraduate students, taught undergraduate biological science courses, and served as BSL-3 laboratory manager. In 2014, Dr. Treacy completed a fellowship in the NBBTP at the NIH. As a NBBTP Fellow, she examined the effective life span ULPA filters in aerosol management systems for cell sorters, produced a training video to promote safer practices when using biological safety cabinets, and developed virtual lectures that were adopted as part of the American Society for Microbiology’s Culture of Responsibility workshops.
Richard Baumann, PhD, SM(NRCM)
Biological Safety Officer | Alternate Responsible Offical (Select Agent Program)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Bethesda, MD
Richard Baumann has been the NIH Biological Safety Officer (BSO) at the Bethesda campus for over 15 years. He is a proud member of ABSA International and an active committee participant. Rick serves as an Alternate Responsible Official (ARO) and spearheads the NIH Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) working within the Biorisk Management branch in the Division of Occupational Health and Safety (DOHS). The NIH IBC reviews biological and rDNA registrations from 23 of the 27 NIH Institutes involved in intramural research at the Bethesda and Baltimore campuses, and at the Integrated Research Facility in Frederick, MD. He is a mentor for specialists within the division, fellows within NIH NBBTP program, as well as medicine and science scholars outside the NIH community. Before coming to NIH, he was an assistant professor, mentor and bench researcher at the US Naval Academy, and a researcher at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and in the biotech industry. Rick received his BS degree in Molecular Biology at the Florida Institute of Technology, Master’s in Biochemistry at Johns Hopkins School of Health and Public Hygiene, and Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. His background is in molecular biology, protein chemistry, medical research, and laboratory safety with biological agents. At the NIH, he strives to be a consistent, approachable catalyst for investigators for the safe progress of their research amidst the inevitable changes that occur within organizations, and the field of biosafety.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 3.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Room 205
9. Intersection Between Biosafety and Infection Control: An Introduction to Infection Control and Biosafety in Clinical Spaces
This course is meant for the biosafety professional who would like to learn more about application of biosafety principles in the clinical environment and partnering with Infection Control Departments in health systems. This is increasingly important as clinical trials using biological therapeutics, such as human gene transfer (HGT), require safety professionals to develop investigational product handling, preparation, and administration protocols that align with current clinical safety practices and environments. The goals of this course are to introduce different clinical environments, specific biosafety considerations for each space, hospital regulatory requirements that influence safety protocols, and how to collaborate with hospital infection control professionals to operationalize safety protocols in a way that’s meaningful to hospital staff.
Objectives:
- Describe inpatient, procedural and outpatient clinical environments and how this affects implementation of biosafety practices
- Restate the similarities and differences between biosafety levels, isolation precautions, and standard precautions
- Summarize how NIH and BMBL guidelines relate to hospital regulatory and accreditation requirements when creating protocols for HGT clinical trials
Suggested Background: Principles and Practices of Biosafety
Target Audience: All Safety Professionals, All Biosafety Professionals
PDC Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
Allison Reeme, PhD, RBP(ABSA)
Shield Consulting
Chesterfield, MO
Allison Reeme has over 6 years of experience in infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at an academic medical center consisting of acute care, procedural, and outpatient care settings. She has led multiple quality improvement projects, assisted in hospital credentialing preparedness, mitigating outbreaks of multidrug-resistant organisms, and designing clinical spaces. Allison has 6 years of experience serving as a Human Gene Therapy expert (HGT) on the Institutional Biosafety Committee, supported a CAR-T cell manufacturing facility and assisted with the training and education of clinical staff supporting HGT clinical trials. Allison has 5+ years’ experience working in A/BSL-2 and A/BSL-3 laboratories conducting bench research with viral and bacterial pathogens. She is certified through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, is a Registered Biosafety Professional through The American Biological Safety Association and has doctoral degrees in Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics and Translational Science.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 3.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM NOW A VIRTUAL COURSE: Jan 23, 2024, 11:30-4pm CST
10V. Institutional Biosafety and Biosecurity – Enhancing Oversight through Effective Governance
This course will discuss the importance of ensuring institutions have robust and comprehensive biosafety and biosecurity governance structures in place. Information will be provided about Federal activities related to strengthening biosafety and biosecurity practices and oversight. Participants will discuss and share tools and best practices that institutions can employ to enhance their biosafety and biosecurity programs.Participants will break into small groups to discuss a case study involving a biosafety incident occurring at an institution subject to the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines), which illustrates the importance of institutional biosafety oversight and how inadequate local oversight can result in significant problems. Participants should ideally have a working knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of institutions, Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs), and Institutional Review Entities (IREs) for biosafety and biosecurity oversight of research subject to the NIH Guidelines and the U.S. Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC).
Objectives:
- Describe how to implement an effective program of biosafety and biosecurity oversight
- Paraphrase common challenges and possible solutions
- Identify tools and best practices that institutions can employ to strengthen their biosafety and biosecurity programs
- Summarize the requirements for reporting incidents under the NIH Guidelines and the importance of ensuring robust and comprehensive biosafety and biosecurity governance structures are in place
Suggested Background: IBC Basics, Background knowledge of the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules
Target Audience: All Biosafety Professionals, IBC members, research compliance staff
PDC Level: Intermediate
This webinar will be one 4-hour webinar session on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM CST with a 30-minute break. For the webinar, you should plan on logging in at 11:15 am (CDT) on January 23, 2024. You are required to attend the webinar session, complete the pre-course and post course assessments, and complete the evaluation in order to receive the completion certificate through the ABSA International Training Site. The link in the invitation will be unique to the user and cannot be shared.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 3.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.
COURSE FACULTY
Kathryn Harris, PhD, RBP(ABSA)
Senior Outreach and Education Analyst
Office of Science Policy
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Bethesda, MD
Dr. Kathryn Harris works in the Office of Science Policy (OSP), Division of Biosafety, Biosecurity and Emerging Biotechnology Policy at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For almost 20 years she has worked to develop national and regional programs of stakeholder relations, education, and outreach strategies relevant to the oversight of research with recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules and research that has dual use potential. She also advises on biosafety and biosecurity policy and regulatory issues. Prior to joining OSP, she was the Biological Safety Officer at Northwestern University. Dr. Harris is Registered Biosafety Professional and a member of ABSA International (American Biological Safety Association). She was a founding member and first president of the Midwest Area Biosafety Network (MABioN). She received her Ph.D. from Cornell University and completed two years of postdoctoral training at Washington University in St Louis. Dr. Harris was the 2019 recipient of the ABSA Arnold G. Wedum Distinguished Achievement Award, for outstanding contributions to biological safety accomplished through teaching, research, service, and leadership.
COURSE FEES
ABSA Members: $440 USD
Nonmembers: $540 USD
To obtain the ABSA member rate, the participant will need to be an ABSA member in the year in which the training is offered. Course fees include: course handouts, access to the ABSA International training site, and 4-hours of interactive instruction from a well-respected subject matter expert.
Confirmed, paid participants will be sent detailed information regarding the course approximately one week prior to the course. Substitutions allowed with notice by 12/26/2023. There is a 15% processing fee for cancellations prior to 12/26/2023. Cancellations between 12/26/2023 and 1/2/2024 will be refunded at 50% of the course fee. No refunds after 1/2/2024.
The links to the various invitations for the course will be unique to the user and cannot be shared. The links are for single, individual use only. If more than one occurrence of an individual’s name is on the attendee list for the webinar through Zoom platform all instances of that person’s name will be removed from the webinar with no refund. The webinar and its associated links are for single, individual use only.
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
11. Respiratory Protection for Biosafety Professionals
This course will provide an overview of respiratory protection personal protection equipment (PPE), including selection considerations for biological and chemical hazards. A deeper dive into key hazards relevant to biosafety professionals and their respiratory protection considerations will follow. While mostly based on U.S. OSHA Respiratory Protection Program requirements, much of theinformation presented will be applicable internationally.
Objectives:
- Describe the basic process for hazard and exposure assessment necessary for selecting appropriate respiratory protection
- Identify the types and styles of respiratory protection equipment, in addition to U.S. OSHA requirements for their use
- Summarize the process of respirator selection and program implementation in their workplace for key hazards
Suggested Background: None
Target Audience: All Biosafety Professionals, All Safety Professionals
PDC Level: Intermediate
COURSE FACULTY
Kathryn Thompson, MPH, MS, CIH, MT(ASCP)
Technical Training and Education Specialist
3M
Annandale, MN
Kathryn Thompson has over 30 years of industrial hygiene experience in a variety of industrial andhealthcare applications, including infection control and technical support for disinfectant products. Kathy has been with 3M for the past 28 years and currently supports the selection and use of personal protective equipment with a focus on customers in the pharmaceutical andchemical industries. Kathy is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and Medical Technologist MT(ASCP) with a Master of Public Health and MS in Chemistry.
CONTACT HOURS
This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 3.5 P.A.C.E.® contact hours.