67th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference

Scientific Program

November 3-6, 2024

All times listed will be MOUNTAIN Standard Time

Sunday, November 3, 2024

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

Monday, November 4, 2024

7:00 – 5:00 pm Registration

7:00 – 8:00 am Continental Breakfast in Foyer

9:00 – 4:00 pm Vendor Exhibits

8:00 – 8:15 am Welcome and ABSA International President’s Address
Master of Ceremonies
Luis Alberto Ochoa Carrera, MSc, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

8:15 – 8:20 am Local Arrangements Committee Welcome
Sepideh Hockley, MBA, Penn State University, Phoenix, AZ

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

Session 1 | Arnold G. Wedum Memorial Lecture Award

8:25 – 9:15 am Title: TBD
Yvonne (Bonnie) Maldonado, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA

9:15 – 9:25 am Q&A Session

9:25 – 9:55 am | Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break

Session 2 | Evolution of BSL-4

9:55 – 10:10 am Enabling Enhanced US Made BSL-4 Ensemble
Michael Rein, PhD, Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), Cambridge, MA

10:10 – 10:25 am Modeling the Effects of Routine Screening for Lab-Acquired-Infections at High-Biosafety Research Facilities
Byron Cohen, Harvard University, Boston, MA

10:25 – 10:40 am The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Design, Construction and Operation of a Biocontainment Facility
E. Scott Kreitlein, MArch, BHDP Architects, Saratoga Springs, UT

10:40 – 10:55 am Q&A Session

10:55 – 11:00 am | Stretch

Session 3 | Perspectives on Regulations and Guidelines

11:00 – 11:15 am Evolving Landscape in Life Sciences Regulation: Assessing Impact and Advancing Biosafety
Randy A. Albrecht, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

11:15 – 11:30 am Integrating IRES AND IBCS IN DURC AND PEPP Oversight
Iris Shurdhi, MA, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, Office of Global Affairs, Washington, DC

11:30 – 11:45 pm Implementation of Global Action Plan III Laboratory Containment in Poliovirus-Essential Facilities – United States, 2017-2023
Christy Ottendorfer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

11:45 – 12:00 pm Q&A Session

12:00 – 1:30 pm | Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch

Session 4 | Poster Session

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

Session 5 | Invited Speaker

1:30 – 2:15 pm Title: TBD
Christopher L. Parkinson, PhD, Clemson University, Clemson, SC

2:15 – 2:30 pm Q&A Session

2:30 – 3:00 pm | Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break

Session 6 | Inclusive Biosafety Training for Global Communities

3:00 – 3:15 pm Reaching Across the Bench: Why Biosafety Education is Key for Cell and Gene Therapy
Pharmacists and Clinicians
Heidi E. Page, RBP(ABSA), MS, Shield Consulting, Chesterfield, MO

3:15 – 3:30 pm Strategies for Improving Biosafety Accessibility, Buy-In, and Compliance
Sharon Altmann, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), MRIGlobal, Gaithersburg, MD

3:30 – 3:45 pm Establishing a Regional Training and Certification Program for BSC
Thendo Netshilema, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), Johannesburg, South Africa

3:45 – 4:00 pm Q&A Session

4:00 – 4:05 pm | Stretch

Session 7 | Clinical Biosafety

4:05 – 4:20 pm Risk Assessment for Clinical Trials Involving Genetically Modified Bacteria or Phages
Daniel Eisenman, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Advarra, Apex, NC

4:20 – 4:35 pm Uncovering the Hidden Threat: Acinetobacter Baumannii – A Microbiological Survey of Distribution in the Hospital Environment and Disinfectant Tolerance
Sidrah Saleem, PhD, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan

4:35 – 4:50 pm Select Agent Regulatory Challenges in a Patient Care Setting
Corrie Ntiforo, RBP(ABSA), University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston, Galveston, TX

4:50 – 5:05 pm Q&A Session

5:00 – Close | Members’ Business Meeting

Door prizes will be awarded—must be present to win.

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

7:00 – 5:00 pm Registration

7:00 – 8:00 am Continental Breakfast in Foyer

9:00 – 4:00 pm Vendor Exhibits

Session 8 | Invited Speaker

8:00 – 8:45 am Biosecurity: Complexity, Complacency, Connectivity and Commitment
George Poste, PhD, DVM, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ

8:45 – 9:00 am Q&A Session

Session 9 Applied Biosafety

9:05 – 9:20 am Deciding Upon the Best Decontamination Strategy – Follow the Literature or “Trust But Verify”?
Karen Gjendal, DVM, PhD, Bavarian Nordic A/S, Kvistgaard, Denmark

9:20 – 9:35 am Using DNA-Tagged Aerosol Tracer Particles as Challenge Agents for Measurement and Verification of Engineering Controls
Nicholas Heredia, PhD, SafeTraces, Pleasanton, CA

9:35 – 9:50 am A Modified Hand Washing Method for Resource-Limited Settings
Samreen Sarwar, MPhil, Health Security Partners, Lahore, Pakistan

9:50 – 10:05 am BSC MythBusters: Are all Performance Envelopes the Same for All BSCS?
Kara Held, PhD, Baker, Sanford, ME

10:05 – 10:35 am Q&A Session

10:35 – 11:05 am | Exhibits, Posters, and Coffee Break

Session 10 | Eagleson Lecture Award

Introduction: Mary Ann Sondrini, Eagleson Institute, Sanford, ME

11:05 – 11:50 am Title: TBD
David Engelthaler, PhD, TGen North, Phoenix, AZ

11:50 – 12:05 am Q&A Session

12:05 – 1:35 pm | Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch

Session 11 | Poster Session

12:35 – 1:35 pm Presenters must be available during the session.

Concurrent Session 12(a) | Biosafety by Design

1:35 – 1:50 pm The Value of Biosafety Input at the Design Table for New or Renovated Laboratory Projects
Carrie A. Smith, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Merrick & Company, Greenwood Village, CO

1:50 – 2:05 pm Designing for the Future: Converting Office Space into Open Labs
Kimberly DiGiandomenico, MS, RBP(ABSA), AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD

2:05 – 2:20 pm Integrating Laboratory Safety With Instrument Manufacturers
Michael Pentella, PhD, MS, State Hygienic Laboratory, Coralville, IA

2:20 – 2:35 pm Biosafety and Sustainability: Building a Resilient Future
Ryan Bartlett, MS, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA) Sitero, Coral Gables, FL

2:35 – 3:05 pm Q&A

Concurrent Session 12(b) | Global Perspectives

1:35 – 1:50 pm Alternative Methods for Biohazardous Waste Inactivation
Aline Anne Baldo, PhD, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium

1:50 – 2:05 pm Rapid Disease Screening for Biosecurity Protocols in Containment Facilities
Lia Suzanne Rotherham, PhD, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa

2:05 – 2:20 pm One Health Approach in the Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance: Biosafety and Biosecurity Perspectives
Md Asadulghani, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh

2:20 – 2:35 pm Establishing a Gnotobiotic Mouse Colony Disinfection Protocol
Allison Fowler, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH

2:35 – 3:05 pm Q&A

3:05 – 4:05 pm | Coffee Break, Posters, Exhibits, and Raffle

Exhibitor raffle prized will be awarded – must be present to win

Concurrent Session 13(a) | Public Health

4:05 4:20 pm Biorisk Management Implementation in Select Public Health Laboratories Across the U.S.
Folasade Kembi, PhD, CPH, MPH, MSc, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

4:20 – 4:35 pm Advancing Health and Safety at the NICD in Johannesburg, South Africa
Kovashnee Naidoo, PhD, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), Johannesburg, South Africa

4:35 – 4:50 pm Designing and Validating a Framework for Multisectoral Preparedness for Deliberate Biological Incidents Involving Zoonotic Pathogens in Egypt
Ali M. Asy, PhD, Animal Health Research Institute, Benha, Egypt

4:50 –5:05 pm Q&A

Concurrent Session 13(b) | High Containment Case Studies

4:05 4:20 pm Adapting Small Animal MRI for Safe Use in BSL-3 Facilities
Alexander R. Kneubehl, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

4:20 – 4:35 pm Establishing a High Containment Laboratory in the Resource-Limited Country
Angelo Dela Tonga, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines

4:35 – 4:50 pm A Case Study of the Complexities With Finalizing ABSL-3 Construction Project
Beata Clapp, DVM, PhD, Penn State University, University Park, PA

4:50 –5:05 pm Q&A

6:00 – 10:00 pm | Banquet at Desert Foothills

This year’s banquet will take place at Desert Foothills, a breathtaking private events venue located in North Scottsdale, just a 10-minute drive from the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa conference site. Selected for its exquisite views of the Sonoran Desert, set against the backdrop of the Valley of the Sun Phoenix Metro area, this venue showcases the unique beauty of the region. The Sonoran Desert stands out as one of the most ecologically diverse deserts in North America, boasting a wide array of plant and animal life. As you take in the scenery, savor the food and drinks, and partake in games, music, and the warmth of fire pits. Join us for a delightful evening of great barbeque, entertainment, and stunning landscapes with friends and colleagues. 

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

7:00 – 5:00 pm Registration

7:00 – 8:00 am Continental Breakfast in Foyer

Session 14 | Griffin Lecture Award

8:00 – 8:00 am Introduction: Erin Sorrell, PhD, MSc, Elizabeth R. Griffin Program, Washington, DC

8:00 – 8:45 am Title: TBD
Djibril Sangare, PhD, Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Bamako, Mali

8:45 – 9:00 am Q&A Session

9:00 – 9:05 am | Stretch

Session 15 | Biosafety Program Management; Topics, Trends, and Analyses

9:05 – 9:20 am Biosafety Assurance: Tracking Compliance and Operational Excellence
Luis Ochoa Carrera, MSc, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI

9:20 – 9:35 am Trends in Demographics Among Biosafety Professionals: A Decade-Long Analysis
An Tran, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV

9:35 – 9:50 am Developing an Effort Coefficient to Strengthen Programmatic Statistics
Andrew B. Maksymowych, PhD, MS, RBP(ABSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

9:50 – 10:05 am The Impact of Targeted Interventions on Overall Safety Culture and Injuries
Samantha Parsons, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH

10:05 – 10:35 am Q&A Session

10:35 – 10:45 am | Coffee Break

Session 16 | Animal Biosafety

10:45 – 11:00 am Improving Hazard Communication in Animal Research
Sarah Capasso, RBP(ABSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

11:00 – 11:15 am Adapting a Behavioral Arena for Rodent Neuroinfectious Disease Research
Brinkley Morse, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

11:15 – 11:30 am The Introduction of University of Southern California’s Newly Established Animal Research Safety Program Within its Research Community
Bagrat Khachatryan, PhD, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

11:30 – 11:45 am Expecting the Unexpected – Preparations and Complications of an ABSL3 Renovation Project
Liliam Montoya, University of California – Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

11:45 – 12:15 pm Q&A

12:15 – 1:45 pm | Honor Awards and Special Recognition Luncheon

Presenter: Luis Alberto Ochoa Carrera, MSc, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

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

Session 17 | Richard Knudsen Award

1:45 – 2:05 pm Title: TBD
Speaker: TBD

2:05 – 2:15 pm Q&A Session

2:15 – 2:20 pm | Stretch

Session 18 | Navigating Challenges in Biosafety Facilities

2:20 – 2:35 pm Fixing Broken Laboratories
Mark Francis Wheatley, Environment & Services Ltd., Cornwall, United Kingdom

2:35 – 2:50 pm BSL-2 Lab Decommissioning Project Management: Challenges and Solutions
Jacqueline Hardt, CBSP(ABSA), Zoubek Consulting LLC, Palm Springs, CA

2:50 – 3:05 pm The Cold Room That We Forgot
Tim Strovas, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Puget Sound Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Seattle, WA

3:05 – 3:20 pm Air Changes Effectiveness in Laboratories
Chris Kiley, PE, Merrick & Company, Chamblee, GA

3:20 – 3:50 pm Q&A

Session 19 | Biosecurity

4:00 – 4:15 pm Robert I. Gross Student Award: International Biosecurity Education Network: A Timely Tool For Biosecurity
Iris Marie Magne, London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom

4:15 – 4:30 pm Biosecurity Risk Assessment for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Synthetic Biology: A Practical Approach
Leyma P. De Haro, PhD, RBP(ABSA), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA

4:30 – 4:45 pm A Century of Assessment – The Collection of Biothreat Risk Assessment (COBRA)
Michael Parker, PhD, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

4:45 – 5:00 pm Q&A Session

5:00 pm | Close of Conference