2022 Election
As a member of ABSA International your vote determines the future of the association. Make your vote count and submit your ballot for the 2023 Council and Nominating Committee. Look in your inbox for a email (ballot) via Survey Monkey. The link to the ballot for the 2022 ABSA Election is in that email. Your vote is important! Please have all ballots completed by August 31, 2022. If you cannot find the email, please send a message to info@absa.org
Thank you!
The 2022 Nominating Committee: Melissa Morland, Heather Blair, Brandon Hatcher, and Barbara Owen
2022 Nominee Bios
President-Elect Candidates
Luis Alberto Ochoa Carrera, MSc
Luis Ochoa Carrera is the High-Containment Lab/Pandemic Safety Manager in Environmental Health & Safety at Michigan State University (MSU). Luis earned a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences and a master's degree in Healthcare Management from the Universidad del Valle de México. At MSU, Luis contributes by overseeing more than 600 laboratories using biological materials, including BSL-3 and ABSL-3 Select Agent research facilities. In his previous position as the Chief of the Epidemiological Surveillance and Research Laboratories for the Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS) from the Ministry of Health in Mexico, he oversaw 1,200 clinical laboratories, 7 of which were epidemiological surveillance and reference as well as 54 blood bank labs. From 2013 to 2019, Luis served as the BSL-3 Lab Coordinator for the National Reference Laboratory (InDRE) in Mexico City and contributed to developing a strong biological safety management system based on the biosafety professional competence and implementation of quality assurance systems (ISO standards). Luis also served at InDRE as the Co-Director of the Collaborating Center (CC) in Biosafety for Laboratories, for the World Health Organization (WHO).
Luis has served as an ABSA International Councilor and has been an active member of the biosafety and biosecurity community since 2009. Luis has served on or led several ABSA Committees such as the Publications Committee and Biosecurity Executive Steering Committee, several Task Forces, and as the ABSA International representative for the Global Health Security Agenda Consortium. He is one of the international editors of the Applied Biosafety Journal. His academic interests include the training for the safe and secure handling of high-risk pathogens in high-containment facilities, the transport of infectious substances, and biosafety in spaceflight programs.
As one of the 18 founding members of the Mexican Biosafety Association (AMEXBIO) and Past President, Luis established various partnership agreements with Biosafety Associations from Kenya, Mali, Tunisia and Pakistan. In 2015 AMEXBIO partnered with Arizona State University, for strengthening the regional efforts to promote biosafety and biosecurity in the Latin American Region. He is also an active member of several biosafety associations around the world.
Luis was a representative for Mexico in the plenary meetings of the Australia Group (GA) and other related events of the Biological Weapons Convention. He has been participating as a mentor with several organizations such as the Next Generation Global Health Security Network, Sandia National Laboratories, and the International Federation of Biosafety Associations.
Goals and Objectives:
It is a great honor to be considered for ABSA President-Elect. Luis would like to focus on the continuous expansion of ABSA's core mission, vision, and values among the biosafety community. He will continue to promote ABSA International, our talented and multidisciplinary membership, in achieving our strategic goals. As this is done, keeping in mind, our greatness as an association is the direct result of teamwork and the remarkable professionalism of our members. Luis will continue to highlight the importance and relevance of this discipline in the life sciences field and will continue promoting and strengthening the strategic alliances with national and international organizations to prioritize educational outreach and to better serve our community.
Lolly Gardiner, MBA, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
Lolly Gardiner has 25 years of biosafety experience and is currently a Program Manager at MRIGlobal. During her tenure at MRIGlobal, Lolly providing biosafety awareness training to 1700 students, administrators and parents during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, serving as the Biosafety Advisor for Ebola Response Mobile Laboratory deployed in Sierra Leone, developing and deploying the Biosafety Officer Training Program in Kazakhstan. In addition to these highlights, Lolly is responsible for planning, guiding, organizing and managing lab-based disease diagnostic programs in addition to serving as Principal Investigator/Program Manager for One Health and BS&S projects, programs and personnel.
Lolly has a Bachelor's of General Studies in Microbiology from the University of Kansas and a Master's of Business Administration from Baker University. She has been an active member of the American Biological Safety Association since 2001 having served as the ABSA International treasurer and as a member or chair of various committees and taskforces. Lolly is a Registered Biosafety Professional and a Certified Biological Safety Professional. She has been an active member of the Front Range Biological Safety Association (FRaBSA), an affiliate of ABSA International, since its inception in 2009, serving in various board positions and is the current President.
Goals and Objectives:
I am honored to be considered for the position of President-elect. ABSA International has grown and development tremendously from when I first became a member back in 2001, I'm impressed by the Association I see in 2022. As President, I hope to maintain the recognition of the Association as a premier resource in biological safety by supporting and continuing its growth and development in alignment with Association's Strategic Plan. I wish to ensure the volunteers of the Association know we appreciate their continued support and understand without them and their dedication we could not be the premier organization that we are.
Secretary Candidates
Danielle Daniely PhD, MPH, RBP(ABSA)
Danielle Daniely is the Director of Research Safety and High Containment Laboratories at Georgia State University (GSU). Her responsibilities include oversight of biological, chemical, radiological, and environmental safety; as well as the BSL3 and BSL4 laboratories and select agent program. She has a comprehensive background in clinical and research laboratory safety, with specific training and expertise in biological safety, infection control, training development, and program management.
Danielle is also an Adjunct Professor in Biomedical Sciences. She lectures on principles and practices of biosafety and participates in grant writing activities where biosafety expertise is needed.
Prior to joining GSU, Danielle was Deputy Chief of the Training and Workforce Development Branch at the CDC. She provided scientific and technical expertise in support of safety training development. She also co-authored an appendix in the 6th edition of the CDC/NIH publication Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories to address clinical biosafety concerns. Her professional experience includes time serving as Biosafety Officer and community member on several academic, government, and commercial Institutional Biosafety Committees.
Danielle received her PhD in Genomic Medicine/Immunology from the Medical College of Georgia and an MPH in Environmental Health from Augusta University. She is a Registered Biosafety Professional and serves as Co-Chair of the ABSA Pre-conference Course Committee and member of the Publications and New Member Committees. Danielle is very involved with the ABSA affiliate, Southeastern Biosafety Association (SEBSA) where she served as President and serves on the Education Team.
Esmeralda Meyer, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
Esmeralda Meyer is the director of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Emory University. Her professional background includes a medical degree from Universidad del Rosario – Colombia, 16 years as a researcher at the Emory National Primate Center, and a Juris Masters from Emory University. Prior to joining the IACUC, she was the associate biosafety officer at Emory University since 2015. Esmeralda's professional interests include biosafety, animal use and care and related safety issues, risk management, and novel technologies. She is a registered biosafety professional (RBP) and a certified biological safety professional (CBSP) issued by ABSA International. In 2021, she acquired her certification for Biorisk Management from IFBA. Esmeralda enjoys giving back to the biosafety community by volunteering her time with ABSA as the Vice-Chair of the TRR Committee and Co-Chairs the Emerging Infectious Diseases Committee (EIDC). She contributes to the ABSA Laboratory Acquired Infections (LAI) database, serves as scientific reviewer for the Applied Biosafety Journal and other journals, and writes for the ABSA blog.
Councilor Candidates
Angela Birnbaum, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
Angela Birnbaum is the Executive Director of Biosafety, Biocontainment Operations and Quality Assurance at Tulane University where she oversees a university-wide biosafety program involving research using recombinant DNA and synthetic nucleic acids, clinical trials, and research with high-risk pathogens. She is the Responsible Official for the Tulane National Primate Research Center Select Agent Program
Angie is a Registered Biosafety Professional, Certified Hazardous Material Manager, Certified Biosafety Professional, and a Specialist Microbiologist in the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists. She has been a member of ABSA since 2007, and has participated in several working groups, provided numerous conference platform presentations for ABSA and several regional affiliates. Angie has served on the ABSA Awards Committee since 2009, served as the Co-Chair of the Biological Select Agent Community Advocate Committee, serve as a Co-Chair of the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory Biological Safety Sub-Committee. She is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Medical Research and have provided numerous conference sessions. She has years of experience working in academic institutions and contract research organizations including New York Medical College. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MRIGlobal-Kansas City, and Harvard University. Angie has a proven record of biosafety and biosecurity program implementation, complex risk assessments for emerging technologies, high containment building design, and biosafety team building.
She is currently serving as the Co-Investigator of the Coordinating Center for Non-Human Primate Research in COVID 19 vaccine and therapeutics, coordinating practices and procedures amongst the 7 regional primate research centers.
David Harbourt, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
David Harbourt is currently a Safety and Occupational Health Manager for the Center of Veterinary Medicine at the FDA. Prior to his current position, he served as the Program Director of the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP) at the National Institutes of Health. Before that, he served in a variety of roles at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) including Biosafety Officer, Chief of the Biosafety Division and Deputy Director of the USMARIID Transition Office (2012-2021). Prior to working at USAMRIID, he was a fellow in the NBBTP. Preceding the fellowship, he graduated with his B.S. in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech ('05) and his Ph.D. in Toxicology from UNC-Chapel Hill ('09).
Dave has been an active ABSA member since 2010 and has previously served as the Chair of the Pre-Conference Course Committee as well as Chair of the Training Tools and Resources Committee. He has also been a member of the Standards Committee, Professional Development Team and Select Agent Community Advisory Committee for ABSA. He has recently been named Co-Chair of the ABSA Ambassadors Committee. Locally, Dave has previously been a Councilor for the Chesapeake Area Biosafety Association as well has Chair of the Scientific Program Committee for its annual symposium as well as Chair of the Pre-Symposium Committee. Dave is also currently a member of the Exam Development Committee for the CBSP biosafety exam and previously served as Chair of the DoD Biosafety and Scientific Review Panel.
Dave has published a number of articles on topics relevant to biosafety including bacteriology, virology, agent inactivation, effluent decontamination systems and risk assessment. He has also taught courses both at ABSA and at local universities on biosafety, risk assessment, emergency management and effluent decontamination systems. Dave is certified as a biosafety professional through both the American Society of Microbiology and ABSA.
Brian O'Shea, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM)
Brian O'Shea is the Associate Director of Operations for Pfizer's Vaccine R&D High Containment programs. He has experience working in high-containment research facilities both domestic and abroad, as well as military experience currently serving as a Captain (Microbiologist – 71A) within the 75th Innovation Command of the Army's Futures Command. Brian holds professional certifications as a Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP) and Specialist Microbiologist through the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists. Brian obtained his PhD in Veterinary Microbiology from Texas A&M and has worked within the field of medical countermeasures R&D/T&E both as a bench researcher and as a biological safety professional for over 15 years. Brian has worked as a biosafety professional with academic institutions, non-profit research firms, pharmaceutical industries, as well as government research facilities and organizations such as the GAO, DoD, and USDA. He has been a member of ABSA and its affiliates (NEBSA, MABioN, MABSA, EBSA) for over 10 years and has served on many committees, most notably as the Chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee for over 5 years. Brian sees ABSA International as an invaluable resource in the everchanging world of biotechnology and synthetic biology R&D. As a council member, Brian will work to bring the knowledge, professionalism, and resources ABSA International and its members have to offer to the forefront of the national biological research discussion.
Anthony Wang, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM)
Anthony Wang currently serves as the EHS Director and Select Agent ARO for Texas Biomedical Research Institute (TxBiomed) in San Antonio, TX. TxBiomed houses one of the 7 national primate research centers, and the only privately-owned ABSL4 facility. As an infectious disease-focused institution, he oversees containment laboratories (A)BSL3/(A)BSL4, BSL1/(A)BSL2 research laboratories, and research involving NHP, in addition to environmental compliance and employee health/safety.
Anthony credits ABSA International with incredible opportunities to learn from other biosafety professionals. Upon completing his PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology and post-doc, he made a career shift and have never been happier- first in BSL3 operations at the OSU, followed by Biosafety Officer and Assistant Director for Office of Research Safety at UChicago. From training and workshops, CBSP certification, and professional connections leading to grants & consultation opportunities, ABSA expanded his horizons and made this career possible. Anthony would like the opportunity to serve as Councilor at ABSA International and pay it forward to those who are interested in taking a similar path. He is currently on the CBSP exam development board, finance committee, and scientific committee at ABSA International and Communications Director for MABioN, a regional affiliate.
Nominating Committee Candidates
Ryan Burnette, PhD
Ryan Burnette, Ph.D. is the Vice President at Merrick & Company and leads the Life Sciences practice. He is an international biorisk management practitioner with a strong focus on biosecurity and biodefense. To date, Dr. Burnette has worked with over 100 universities, biopharmaceutical clients, and governments, practicing extensively in the U.S., Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, India, and the Caribbean on biosafety/biosecurity and laboratory capacity building. He frequently supports missions on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, as well as many foreign ministries. Dr. Burnette is the author and editor of one of the authoritative volumes in biosecurity, entitled Biosecurity: Understanding, Assessing and Preventing the Threat. His second book, Applied Biosecurity: Global Health, Defense, and Developing Technologies, was released in June of 2021. He has been a member of ABSA since 2008.
Rachel Gamble, DrPH, CBSP, RBP
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. 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. She holds a doctorate in public health, CBSP and RBP certifications, held previous Southern Biosafety Association (SBA) positions (treasurer, vice president, president, and past president), current VP of SBA, reviewer for Applied Biosafety, and serves on the ABSA Training Tools and Resources Committee and Scientific Program Committee.
Claudia Gentry-Weeks, PhD, CBSP(ABSA)
Claudia Gentry-Weeks is a faculty member at Colorado State University (CSU) where she teaches and does research. She was a Biosafety Officer at CSU for 13 years. Her professional interests are teaching biosafety and microbial research methods to undergraduate students, researching phage, antibiotic resistance, and synthetic biology, management of biological waste, and working with international professionals to build biosafety programs. She is a Certified Biosafety Professional, has a Ph.D. in microbial genetics, and was a Fulbright Scholar to Spain in 2020. Claudia served on ABSA International's Scientific Program Committee as a member, co-chair and chair, and as a member on the International Engagement and Expanding ABSA's Influence Committees.
Chris Jenkins, PhD, MPH
Dr. Chris Jenkins, PhD, MPH, is the CEO, Founder, and Principal Partner of Sabai Global + Subsidiaries of Clinical Biosafety Services IBC, Castle IRB, and Shield Consulting. He has worked 15+ years in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biological safety, gene therapy/gene transfer, corporate development, human research protections and biosafety compliance fields in academic, private research institute and clinical settings. He has experience overseeing a broad-range of entity research compliance chairing IBCs and IRBs at over 1500 convened meetings.
His past positions include Saint Louis University, The Scripps Research Institute, the University of Missouri, WCG, and University of Texas at Austin. Chris conducted masters and doctorate studies in Public Health, with a focus on Biosecurity through the Saint Louis University School for Public Health and Social Justice. He is frequently consulted for ABSA workshops, webinars, presentations, and has a number of articles in print and review.
Shalaka Kotkar, PhD, MPH, CPH, CBSP(ABSA)
Shalaka Kotkar is the Director of Environmental and Laboratory Safety at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX) and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at the same institution. Shalaka also serves as the Facility Director of BCM's BSL-3/ABSL-3 Facility and the Responsible Official overseeing BCM's Select Agent Program. Her interest in infectious diseases led her to Purdue University where she received her PhD studying host-pathogen interactions and a subsequent MPH from The University of Texas School of Public Health. Shalaka holds professional credentials in both the fields of Biological Safety (CBSP) and Public Health (CPH). Previously, she served as a Biosafety Specialist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and the Biosafety Officer at BCM. She currently serves on ABSA's Advanced Biosafety Training Series as the Co-Lead and is on Applied Biosafety's editorial board as a reviewer. Shalaka is a past-president and current board member of the Southern Biosafety Association, an affiliate chapter of ABSA International.
Paul Meechan, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
Since leaving the CDC in late 2019, Paul has been a consultant for a variety of academic institutions and corporations. He continues to engage with colleagues in the biosafety community through a number of opportunities, including teaching as part of the ABSA Principles and Practices of Biosafety (PPB), the Eagleson BLS3 Advanced work Practices and Procedures Course, and the CDC Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) program and, until this past March, as interim director of the NIH NBBTP. Paul holds a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester and an MPH in Occupational Health and Safety Management from Tulane University and is both an RBP and CBSP. Paul is currently the chair of the Credentialing Evaluation Board and is an ex officio member of the Credentialing Maintenance Board. He has been an ABSA member since 1993 and is a current member of SEBSA and MABSA. He has served as president of all three associations.
Leo Njongmeta, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM)
Leo is the Global Biosafety Officer and Associate EHS Director at Abbvie where he leads the Abbvie Global R&D EHS Center of Excellence comprised of Biosafety, Vivarium Safety, Radiation Safety, Environmental Compliance and Dangerous Goods Shipping programs. His Team is responsible for providing strategic support to drive a Culture of Safety and Environmental Compliance in biomedical research, drug discovery, preclinical safety, and biologics manufacturing. Leo is an active member of the ABSA Pharmaceutical Biosafety Group and the Abbvie representative to the BioPharma EHS Working Group.
Leo is a certified Safety Professional (CBSP, SM(NRCM), CSP), with a Ph. D in Veterinary Science, an MBA in Leadership and Operations Management and an adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health.
Leo has been an active member of ABSA International and currently serving on the Training Tools/Resources (TTR) Committee. He previously served on the Public Relations/Marketing Committee where he contributed to planning and facilitating activities for the Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. Leo served as Councilor-at-Large (2014-2015) and the 2015 Annual Symposium Organizing Chair for the Midwest Area Biosafety Network (MABioN). Besides spending quality family time, Leo is passionate about mentoring and community service. He mentored in the Sandia "Twinning" program, currently is a volunteer high school STEM career coach and a Commissioner for Residents with Disabilities in his village community.
Eric Rouse, MBA, RBP(ABSA)
Eric Rouse has been an active member of ABSA throughout his 13-year career in biological safety. He is currently the Team Lead for the Membership Leadership Team. He has previously served as Chair of the Public Relations/Marketing Committee, Co-chair of the Biosecurity Task Force 2.0 Marketing Strategy Subcommittee, and member of the 2020 Biosecurity Symposium ESC. He has presented at the ABSA Annual Conference and joint ABSA/APHL webinars.
Eric is a Biosafety Officer at Harvard University in Boston, MA. There he supports Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH). He is the Biosafety Officer for their BL3 facilities. Eric is member of the HMS Committee on Microbiological Safety and the HSPH Laboratory and Biological Safety Focus Forum. Before coming to Harvard, Eric worked at the University of Kentucky supporting biomedical and agricultural research. He holds bachelor's degrees in biology, chemistry, and clinical laboratory science; and his graduate work includes a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Information Systems.
You must be logged in to post a comment.