On May, 2, 2019, ABSA Council Members Rebecca Moritz and Patricia de la Rosa and President-Elect David Gillum attended a meeting at Georgetown University to discuss opportunities for improving biosecurity oversight of research activities, including Dual Use Research and Gain of Function experiments. The half-day meeting was designed to encourage and promote biosecurity collaborations with ABSA International, academia, law enforcement, and the public and private sectors in support of global biosecurity initiatives. The attendees agreed that the current focus on biological threats needs to be expanded beyond list-based pathogens and that scientists and research administrators must be provided guidance [...]

Environmental Health and Safety has launched the Eye Promise campaign to raise awareness for wearing appropriate eye protection. The campaign asks university students, faculty and staff to promise to wear their safety glasses whenever they are in areas working with hazardous materials or physical hazards. Whether an individual works with wood in a shop, uses paints in a studio or handles chemicals in a laboratory, the Eye Promise campaign serves as a reminder to wear eye protection. “I believe any scientist needs to pay attention to their health and safety, and the [...]