Monday, October 12, 2026

8:00 – 8:15 am Welcome and ABSA International President’s Address
Anne-Sophie Brocard, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), CHMM, CSP, The University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX

8:15 – 8:20 am Local Arrangements Committee Welcome
Anthony Walters, MPH, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS

8:20 – 8:25 am Scientific Program Committee Welcome
Colleen Kovacsics, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Genentech, Philadelphia, PA

Session 1 | Arnold G. Wedum Memorial Lecture Award

8:25 – 9:15 am Title: TBD
Alvin Smith, PhD, PMP, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

9:15 – 9:25 am Q&A Session

9:55 – 10:10 am It’s Not Pushback, It’s Neuroscience: SCARF‑Informed Change Management For Biorisk Professionals
Sherry S. Bohn, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), University of Maryland—Baltimore, Baltimore, MD

Walk away with practical techniques to manage resistance, handle conflict, and lead change more effectively in everyday biosafety and biosecurity interactions.

10:10 – 10:25 am Unlocking Your Inner Hero: Survival Tools For Solo Biosafety Professionals
Matt Anderson, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), RBP(ABSA), MRIGlobal, Kansas City, MO

Biosafety professionals can improve effectiveness and avoid burnout by applying the H.E.R.O framework detailed in this presentation to intentionally manage time, build efficient systems, prioritize self‑care, and stay connected to professional support networks.

10:25 – 10:40 am Building A Resilient Biosafety Career
Sivarchana Boada, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Rutgers University, Newark, NJ

Deliver actionable, evidence-informed strategies to enhance career resilience, promote workforce sustainability and support effective professional transitions in the biosafety field.

10:40 – 10:55 am Q&A Session

10:55 – 11:10 am | Break

Session 3 | Poster Speed Talks

11:10 – 11:40 am

If You’re HAB-by and You Know it, Wash Your Hands!
Michele Edenfield, MS, RBP(ABSA), U.S. Geological Survey, Norcross, GA

How to Mitigate and Respond to Threats in the Laboratory
Michael Marsico, MS, Association of Public Health Laboratories, Bethesda, MD

Validation of an Autoclave Cycle for Ruminant Waste
Rachael Sullivan, MS, RBP(ABSA), Biosecurity Research Institute, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

Clinical Use of Phage Therapy to Combat Antibiotic Resistant Infections
Scott Swindle, PhD, Advarra, Cary, NC

A Carcass Surrogate: Ballistics Gel
Trent Peacock, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX

IBC Process Improvement Initiative – Streamlining IBC Oversight While Empowering the Laboratory Safety Program
Linna Makmura, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

VHP Decon Validation of Chemical Indicators vs. Biological Indicators
Shelley Brown, RBP(ABSA), Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA

Compliance Requirements and Testing of Interior Finishes in High-Containment Facilities
Tom Walus, Canadian Association for Biological Safety, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Psychological Safety and its Role in Strengthening Biosafety Programs
Marianna Sansone, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Understanding Current Autoclave Safety Practices for Laboratory Spaces
Jocelyn Mendoza, NIH, Bethesda, MD

11:40 am – 1:10 pm | Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch

Session 4 | Poster Session

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

Session 5 | Griffin Lecture Award

1:10 – 1:55 pm Title: TBD
Speaker: TBD

1:55 – 2:10 pm Q&A Session

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

Session 6 | Biosafety Program Management

2:40 – 2:55 pm From SOPs To System: Implementing A Biorisk Management Framework At A CRO
Tristan White, MSc, BioAgilytix Labs, Durham, NC

Learn practical strategies for transforming disconnected biosafety procedures across multiple sites into an integrated biorisk management framework, including tools to standardize laboratory risk assessments and improve organizational oversight of biological risk.

2:55 – 3:10 pm Pre-Inspection Town Halls: Building Transparency and Strengthening Biosafety Compliance Across a Large University
Stephanie Adams-Tzivelekidis, MS, RBP(ABSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Pre-Inspection Town Halls improve laboratory preparedness for inspections while reducing compliance findings and will measurably support compliance and strengthen collaboration between research staff and biosafety officers.

3:10 – 3:25 pm Developing a Biosafety QA Training Program
Kathleen Woods Ignatoski, PhD, CPBCA, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Certify compliance with regulations and guidelines, catch IBC application drift, ensure proper oversight, and disseminate information.

3:25 – 3:40 pm Q&A Session

3:40 – 3:55 pm | Break

Session 7 | Lessons Learned and Best Practices

3:55 – 4:10 pm Lessons Learned From Laboratory Related Exposures
Peili Zhu, RBP(ABSA), University of California—San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Outline lessons learned from laboratory-related exposures.

4:10 – 4:25 pm Best Practices in Sustainable Solid Biohazardous Waste Management in Bangladesh
Md Asadulghani, PhD, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Waste generator‑level interventions have transformed biohazardous waste management in Bangladesh from a high‑cost, incineration‑dependent system into a safer, sustainable, and revenue‑generating model.

4:25 – 4:40 pm A Just Culture System: Fostering Biosafety and Biosecurity Culture Through Trust, and Promoting Incident and Near Miss Reporting
Barbara Johnson, RBP(ABSA), Biosafety Biosecurity International, Merritt Island, FL

Provide examples of how a Just Culture System can be implemented in a laboratory setting, roles and responsibilities at different organizational levels, and various reporting methods and their advantages and challenges.

4:40 – 4:55 pm Q&A Session

5:00 – Close | Members’ Business Meeting

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