66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference
Scientific Program
TUESDAY October 17
All times listed will be CENTRAL Standard Time
7:00 – 5:00 pm Registration
7:00 – 8:00 am Continental Breakfast in Foyer
9:00 – 4:00 pm Vendor Exhibits
8:00 – 8:05 am Welcome
Master of Ceremonies: Luis Alberto Ochoa Carrera, MSc, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Mr. 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.
Session VIII Griffin Lecture Award
8:05 – 8:15 am Introduction: Erin Sorrell, PhD, Elizabeth R. Griffin Program, Washington, DC
Moderator: Francine Rogers, MS, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Tufts University, Boston, MA
8:15 – 9:05 am Addressing Biosafety and Biosecurity Issues at Research and Diagnostic Laboratories: Building Local Capacity–A Big Challenge
Halima Benbouza, PhD, National Council of Scientific Research and Technologies, Algiers, Algeria
9:05 – 9:15 am Q&A Session
Session IX Understanding Regulations
Moderators: Peili Zhu, MD, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of California—San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Betsy Matos, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), Iowa State University, Ames, IA
9:15 – 9:30 am Navigating Through the Fog: Lessons Learned from Using the CDC & USDA Electronic Filing Systems
Anastasia Petit, MS, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD
9:30 – 9:45 am Piloting the ISO:35001 Standard: Cruising Towards Biorisk Management
Julianne Baron, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CPH, Science and Safety Consulting, LLC, McMurray, PA
9:45 – 10:00 am Permitting of Organisms and Vectors, USDA Permits Required
Troy Bigelow, DVM, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Story City, IA
10:00 – 10:15 am Q&A Session
Peili 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.
Julianne 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.
10:15 – 10:45 am Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break
Session X Eagleson Lecture Award
Introduction: Mary Ann Sondrini, Eagleson Institute, Sanford, ME
Moderator: Colleen Kovacsics, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Sparks Therapeutics, Elkins Park, PA
10:45 – 11:35 am Evolving Responses to Emerging Disease Threats
Lisa Hensley, PhD, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS
11:35 – 11:45 am Q&A Session
Lisa Hensley, PhD
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Manhattan, KS
Dr. Lisa Hensley serves as the Research Leader for the Zoonotic and Emerging Disease Research Unit, or ZEDRU, located at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), which is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dr. Hensley’s team at NBAF will focus research efforts on zoonotic and emerging pathogens in large livestock and look for ways to interrupt or stop diseases, which is something USDA scientists cannot do anywhere else in the U.S. at the highest level of biocontainment or BSL-4. Before joining the USDA team at NBAF, Dr. Hensley served as the Associate Director for Science at the National Institutes of Health’s Integrated Research Facility in Frederick, Maryland, where she was responsible for developing and managing a multidiscipline/multifaceted research portfolio supporting biodefense, potential pandemic pathogens, and emerging infectious disease research. Dr. Hensley also served as the Director of Regulatory Science for the Medical Countermeasures Initiative in the Office of the Commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration and was the Chief of Viral Therapeutics at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). She has an extensive background in public health, obtaining her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in immunology and infectious disease from The Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University. She spent the last 25 years developing and characterizing animal models for high-consequence and emerging pathogens, including Ebola and Marburg, SARs, MERs, Variola, mpox (formerly monkeypox) and other viruses. She used these models to develop, evaluate and help advance candidate countermeasures, including therapeutics, post-exposure prophylaxes, vaccines, and diagnostics to improve national and global health. Beyond the confines of the maximum containment laboratory, Dr. Hensley worked in remote locations such as West and Central Africa, where she established research laboratories to respond to outbreaks and conduct clinical trials in low-resource environments. She is considered one of the world’s leading subject matter experts on emerging diseases and high-consequence pathogens. And she is one of few scientists with experience in the development of medical countermeasures from discovery to pre-clinical evaluation and through clinical trials. Dr. Hensley has authored over 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters and holds multiple patents.
11:45 – 1:15 pm Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch
Session XI Poster Session
12:15 – 1:15 pm Presenters must be available during the session.
Session XII Emerging Zoonotic Issues
Moderators: Darlene Ward, RBP(ABSA), Advarra, Boca Raton, FL
George Wudiri, DVM, PhD, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
1:15 – 1:30 pm Learning From the Past: Capacitating Veterinary Labs in Southern Africa
Lia Suzanne Rotherham, PhD, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
1:30 – 1:45 pm Handling Bats at Lower Containment Levels – A Case Study of Emergence of Endemic Zoonotics
Shane Riddell, CSIRO-Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
1:45 – 2:00 pm A One Health Approach to Ticks and Tick-borne Disease in Nebraska
Roberto Cortiñas, DVM, PhD, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
2:00 – 2:15 pm Q&A Session
Darlene Ward, RBP works for Advarra as the Vice-Chair for the IBC Committee and is the Senior Biosafety Expert. 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.
George Wudiri, DVM, PhD
Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque, NM
Roberto Cortiñas, DVM, PhD
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Lincoln, NE
Dr. Roberto Cortinas received his BS in Ecology, Evolution and Animal Behavior at the University of Minnesota and his DVM at Colorado State University. Subsequently, he received his PhD in Veterinary Pathobiology at the University of Illinois, with an emphasis on parasitology and ecology of infectious diseases. Following graduation, he worked as a Senior Scientist in the Parasitology Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, School of Veterinary Medicine. In 2008, he joined the new Cooperative Veterinary Medicine Program at University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Iowa State University as an Assistant Professor of Practice. He teaches veterinary parasitology and Spanish for veterinarians, provides diagnostic support to the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center, and conducts research on vectors and vector-borne diseases in the region.
2:15 – 3:00 pm Coffee Break, Posters, Exhibits, and Raffle
Session XIII Industrial Biosafety
Moderators: Trent Peacock, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
Tammy Bavaret, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
3:00 – 3:15 pm Collaboration Between Biosafety and Infection Control to Ensure Human Gene Therapy Clinical Trial Success
Allie Reeme, PhD, Shield Consulting, Chesterfield, MO
3:15 – 3:30 pm Developing Spill Response Plans in a Clinical Manufacturing Facility
Alex Brown, CSP, Andelyn Biosciences, Inc., Columbus, OH
3:30 – 3:45 pm Biosafety Practices, Toxicology, and Potent Compound Laboratory
Anthony Gemmellaro, MS, RBP(ABSA), Continuous Pharmaceuticals, Woburn, MA
3:45 – 4:00 Q&A Session
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.
Session XIV Material Transport and Import/Export
Moderators: Frank Novembre, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
Cristine Lawson, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), DoD BSAT Biorisk Program Office, Fort Detrick, MD
4:00 – 4:15 pm The Challenges of Shipping Biologicals and Other Regulated Materials
Marie-Luise Faber, MS, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
4:15 – 4:30 pm Import and Export of Biological Materials, a Holistic View
Althea Treacy, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
4:30 – 4:45 pm Evolving a Multifaceted Research Material Shipping Program
Stanley Howell, PhD, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
4:45 – 5:00 pm Q&A Session
Frank Novembre, PhD, RBP(ABSA)
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
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.
