ABSA Update – June 2026

As we reflect on the first half of the 2025-2026 Association year, I am proud to share the significant progress ABSA International has made in advancing our profession, strengthening our community, and expanding our impact both nationally and globally. Since November 2025, the Association has continued to build upon a decade of excellence through strategic initiatives focused on professional development, credentialing, policy engagement, international collaboration, and scientific advancement.

One of our most significant achievements has been the continued expansion of educational opportunities for biosafety and biosecurity professionals. The Advanced Biosafety Training Series (ABTS), coupled with new on-demand learning modules, has substantially increased access to high-quality virtual education for members across all sectors. We have also delivered specialized training programs in emerging areas including artificial intelligence-enhanced biosafety communication, agricultural biosecurity, and infectious substance shipping. To further support professional growth, we introduced the BRM Connect coaching program in addition to the mentorship program and continue to offer member access to conference recordings and virtual courses, ensuring valuable educational resources remain available long after events conclude.

ABSA International has also remained at the forefront of credentialing and policy development. Comprehensive reviews of both the Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP)(ABSA) and Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP)(ABSA) programs are underway to ensure these credentials continue to meet the evolving needs of the biosafety workforce. Our members have contributed expertise to several important national initiatives, including the NIH Biosafety Modernization Initiative and responses to the White House biosafety oversight memorandum. In addition, strengthened partnerships with organizations such as the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) have enabled ABSA to play an influential role in shaping emerging biosafety and biosecurity policy frameworks.

Our commitment to global engagement has continued to grow. ABSA representatives participated in the European Biosafety Association (EBSA) in Belgium, helping to re-establish critical relationships and collaborations following the pandemic years. Furthermore, the expansion of the International Engagement Committee and the introduction of 10 scholarships to allow international colleagues to register for the annual ABSA conference.

The association has also celebrated important accomplishments in science and scholarly communication. Applied Biosafety continues to serve as a leading platform for evidence-based biosafety practice, publishing special issues focused on emerging technologies and novel therapeutics while celebrating its 30th year of publication in 2025. ABSA also continued to provide valuable technical resources through updates to the Risk Group Database and Emerging Infectious Disease Toolboxes, while supporting the presentation of important research in areas such as sharps safety and mobile laboratory biosafety.

These accomplishments are a testament to the dedication of our members, volunteers, committees, staff, and leadership. Together, we are advancing the profession of biosafety and biosecurity, strengthening our global community, and ensuring that ABSA International remains the trusted voice and professional home for biosafety practitioners worldwide. Thank you for your continued commitment to our mission and for helping us build a safer world through science, collaboration, and professional excellence.

Anne-Sophie Brocard, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)
ABSA International President

Chair: Daniel Eisenman
Vice Chair: Shalaka Kotkar

After the successful overhaul of the training modules, they continue to be a valuable resource to biosafety professionals studying for the CBSP exam or seeking additional knowledge. For more information on the modules, visit www.absa.org/abts.

Chair: Sean Fitzgerald
Vice Chair: Kerstin Haskell

The Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) continues to strengthen connections between ABSA International and its affiliated organizations. Over the past several months, the Committee has been working to verify and update affiliate leadership contacts to ensure effective communication and information sharing across the affiliate network.

In addition, the ARC is exploring opportunities to better support smaller affiliates by identifying resources, tools, and collaborative initiatives that can assist with organizational growth, member engagement, and long-term sustainability. These efforts are intended to strengthen the affiliate community and enhance the value of affiliation throughout the biosafety and biosecurity profession.

Chair: Enitra Jones Sprouse
Vice Chairs: Ryan Burnette and Mary Turlington Powell

The 4th Biosecurity Virtual Symposium was held May 12-13, 2026. Speakers and guests enjoyed robust discussions on the changing policy landscape impacting biosecurity. Recordings of the symposium are now available for purchase at biosecuritysymposium.org/.

(formerly Public Relations and Marketing Committee)

Chair: Robin Tobias
Vice Chair: Daniela Didier

The Biosafety Biosecurity Engagement and Promotion (BBEP) has been busy planning the theme and graphic for Biosafety and Biosecurity Month, October 2026. We will be excited to share it with the ABSA community pending approval. We will plan for and host awards again this year for outstanding work to promote the event.

(formerly BSAT Community Advocate Committee)

Chair: Leo Njongmeta
Vice Chair: Melissa James

ABSA leadership approved the renaming of the BSAT Community Committee to the BSAT Community Engagement Committee. The Committee reviewed and updated its policies and procedures. They continue to discuss opportunities to support the community of biosafety professionals providing oversight of BSAT.

Chair: David Cavallaro
Vice Chair: Michelle Frondelli

The Bylaws Committee continues to edit and review the Policies & Procedures of various teams and committees. Nine P&Ps were reviewed during the past quarter. The committee asks that all teams and committees perform an annual review and submit any changes to the ABSA International Office. The office will forward the changes to the committee for review and approval.

Chair: John Henneman
Vice Chair: Michele Howard

From January through June, the Credentials Evaluation Board (CEB) reviewed 23 Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) applications and 19 Certified Biological Safety Professional (CBSP) applications. Of the CBSP applicants reviewed, 14 were determined to be eligible to sit for the examination.

The Board continues to carefully evaluate each application against established eligibility criteria, ensuring that credential holders meet the education, experience, and professional standards required for ABSA International's credentialing programs.

Chair: Heidi Page
Vice Chair: Kim DiGiandomenico

The Credentialing Maintenance Board (CMB) evaluated 67 Credential Maintenance (CM) renewal worksheets, reviewed numerous individual CM applications, and conducted full Board reviews for complex submissions requiring additional consideration.

Additionally, the CMB led a strategic assessment on expanding the current CM framework by introducing a dedicated Biosecurity domain to better recognize and account for biosecurity-focused education, training, and professional development activities.

The Board remains committed to ensuring that the CM program reflects the evolving responsibilities of biosafety and biosecurity professionals while maintaining the high standards expected of ABSA International credential holders.

Chair: Eric Lewis
Vice Chairs: Ericka Pearce, Endah Sulistijo, and Nicole Drumhiller

For the year 2026, the Distance Learning Committee has scheduled a total of 17 webinars, with additional webinars in the works for offering later in the year. Seven of these webinars, including one that was offered at no cost to ABSA members, have been completed, reaching over 400 participants. New webinar topics offered in the Summer 2026 include Biosafety in the Open Lab: Strategies for Shared Accountability, Accidents to Actions: Lessons from Laboratory-Acquired Infections, AI‑Enabled Lab Safety and several more. Recordings are available for Utilizing Measure and Metrics to Sell Your Biosafety Program, Arthropod Biosafety – Ticks, and ABSA core courses Fundamentals of Microbiology and Infectious Disease and Concepts of Virology. Visit absa.org/professional-development for further course information.

Chair: James Pharr
Vice Chair: Amanda Haley

The effort to improve the blog submission process has been in the following areas:

• Submitted proposal to the CMB to expand credits earned from user-submitted blog posts from 0.125 to 0.25 per published post to better reflect effort involved in generating content.
• Streamline the submission process to make it more intuitive and user friendly.
• Developing a process map/flow chart for different types of blog submissions (user submitted vs. Committee/Council-submitted) to clarify back-end handling and procedures.

These updates are designed to encourage greater participation, improve the contributor experience, and streamline the path from submission to publication.

Chair: Susan Harper
Vice Chair: Kenneth Shenge

The EIDC welcomed two new members, Thomas Rowe and Sharmi Thor, and continues to update the ABSA Toolboxes each month. The committee discussed the relevance of its guidance documents and assessed methods to update and manage the Risk Group Database. A proposal has been submitted to the ABSA Executive Committee to create a task force that would implement a phased strategy for modernizing the ABSA Risk Group database, improving content quality, and establishing a sustainable long-term maintenance model.

Chair: Heather Blair
Vice Chair: Cara Leitch

The Exam Development Board (EDB) continues to meet monthly to maintain a high-quality CBSP examination that reflects current biosafety principles, practices, and professional competencies. Since the last update, the Board has developed 12 new exam questions and reviewed items across all exam domains.

With the 2026 CBSP exam currently underway, the EDB is also actively evaluating the current content domains—including the potential incorporation of biosecurity-related tasks and competencies—to ensure the examination remains aligned with the evolving scope of biosafety and biosecurity responsibilities within the profession.

The EDB would also like to recognize Joe Kozlovak for his years of dedicated leadership. Joe remains a valued member of the Board, and we welcome Cara Leitch as our incoming Vice Chair.

We are also pleased to welcome Robert Nickla and Allen Helm as new members of the EDB. Their expertise and contributions will help support ongoing exam development, content review, and future enhancements to the CBSP examination.

Chair: Steve Sebastian

The 69th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be October 10-14, 2026, in Mobile, Alabama. E-blast solicitations are sent every 1.5 weeks to promote exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities at the conference. To date, we have 34 exhibitors and 6 sponsors—SciSure (Gold); BioSAFE Engineering (Silver); Labconco Corporation (Silver); Camfil Clean Air Solutions (Bronze); Parsons Corporation (Bronze); and PRI Bio (Progressive Recovery) (Bronze).

To increase traffic in the exhibit hall, we will have the Raffle Card Program with the exhibitors during the conference. Raffle cards will be included in the attendees’ bags. Companies listed on the raffle card will provide a prize. ABSA will be offering prizes too.

We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. Onsite exhibit booths will be open at the conference for participants to access and interact with booth personnel. If you have any questions about exhibiting and/or sponsoring, please contact Karen Savage (karen@absaoffice.org) for additional information.

(formerly ABSA Awards and Historical Committees)

Chair: James Baugh
Vice Chair: Kerri Kwist

The ABSA Awards and Historical committees have been merged! The new committee has chosen the name—Laurels and Legacy (L&L)! This committee has met and discussed goals for the next year. One task assigned to this committee is to decide what is the best way to catalog and store all the historical records from ABSA. The field of biosafety is somewhat unique in the fact that these records are kept and available. The committee will think about what types of records are most valuable for ABSA members and what form they are most usable. L&L was also able to review, rewrite, and update the current ABSA Honor Awards criteria. The hope is that by clarifying the descriptions, it will be easier for ABSA members to understand what information is needed for nominations. This committee has also created a new Honor Award to recognize biosafety professionals with 5 years of experience or less. Nominations for all Honor Awards are open until July 31st. This is your opportunity to honor those special people in the field.

Chair: Niki Drazenovich
Vice Chair: Dana Buckley

ABSA members currently have 19 quizzes available online for Credentialing Maintenance (CM) points and an additional quiz in development covering Volume 30 of the Applied Biosafety Journal. These quizzes are low cost and can be located on the website at absa.org/online-education/.

Chair: Anthony Walters

We are well on our way to ensuring that this conference is a memorable experience that will not only provide great information and training, but also an opportunity for everyone to see and experience the best of local flavor and culture! The committee is in the process of selecting the gifts for the conference attendees and the speaker’s gifts. The DJ has been contracted and we’re looking at other options to increase the fun and interactions at the Tuesday banquet.

Chair: Kalpana Patel
Vice Chair: Katherine Kasper

The Member Resources Committee (MRC) has been actively engaging with new members through outreach efforts to welcome and support their integration into the organization. The committee has identified areas for improvement on the “New to Biosafety” webpage and is in the final stages of implementing these updates. Additionally, MRC is exploring biosecurity tools to share with the membership. The committee is also in the process of revising the mentoring program.

Chair: Geoffrey Phillips
Vice Chair: Raymond Scheetz

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) conducted a review of courses submitted. The PCC discussed the need to offer new technologies such as AI. Courses in Mobile, Alabama will be offered on Saturday and Sunday only, which have created more virtual opportunities. The final schedule is set and registration will open soon. Visit absaconference.org for more information about our course lineup.

Chair: Colleen Kovacsics
Vice Chairs: Susan Vleck and Mike McCarthy

The Scientific Program Committee is officially in high gear! We have reviewed an impressive lineup of platform and poster abstracts and are finalizing this year’s keynote speakers. We cannot wait to welcome you to an engaging, insight-packed annual conference in October. Watch for registration to open in late June at www.absaconference.org.

Chair: Hongliang Yang
Vice Chair: Bill Arndt

The Technical Regulatory and Legislative Review Committee convened virtual meetings to discuss NIH’s initiative to modernize its biosafety policy, which resulted in draft comments for consideration by Council. The Committee also discussed a Request for Information (RFI) regarding congressional reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). The Committee is currently assessing the FDA guidance document, Safety Assessment of Genome Editing in Human Gene Therapy Products Using Next-Generation Sequencing-Draft Guidance for Industry. The Committee extended invitations to ABSA subject matter experts to provide insight into the FDA guidance.

Chair: Will Pinard
Vice Chair: Kim Kelly

The Tools and Resources (TRC) Committee is working to grow a collection of practical, high-quality tools to support the biosafety and biosecurity community. This quarter we have reviewed several new resources to be posted shortly on the Tools and Resources page. We worked with the ABSA Office and fellow ABSA committees to promote the resource library and encourage the sharing of practical tools and resources. If you have a resource that has benefited you or your program, we encourage you to share it through the TRC Resource Submission Form.

Lead: Scott Patlovich
Vice Lead: Antony Schwartz

Biosafety Metrics Task Force (initially charged by President, LouAnn Burnett) has assembled a series of thoughtful survey questions for the ABSA membership to report on how biosafety measures and metrics are collected and shared. The survey was distributed by the ABSA Office in 2025. Data currently being analyzed, summarized, and will soon be shared.

Currently, there are no agreed upon key performance indicators for the biosafety profession and based on feedback from over 15 years of anecdotal feedback from pre-conference courses and professional experience, the biosafety profession often struggles with telling its story to gain necessary resources (e.g., staffing, budget).

Lead: Maya Nair
Vice Lead: Noman Siddiqi

The BioRisk Management Connect (BRM Connect) Coaching Program continued to demonstrate strong engagement and collaborative success during the 2025–2026 cohort cycle. A total of 14 applicants enrolled in the program and were paired with experienced coaches based on shared areas of project interest.

To date, 11 project submissions (78.6%) were completed on schedule, reflecting continued commitment and participation from both coaches and trainees. In addition, 6 participants (54.5%) successfully submitted abstracts for consideration at the ABSA International Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference.

Several additional projects remain in progress and are expected to contribute to future presentations, collaborations, and professional development opportunities within the biosafety community.

The BRM Connect program continues to support mentorship, networking, and the advancement of biosafety professionals through collaborative learning and project-based engagement.

Lead: Crystal Fortune
Vice Lead: Michael Marsico

Public Health Outreach Shared Interest Group (PH SIG) member Eric Lundquist is a course developer for a new Biosafety micro-credentialling program, which will be hosted by the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Pathologists (ASC).

A PH SIG sub-group collaborated with KariAnn in the ABSA Office to create a poster based on the November 2025 webinar titled, “How to Mitigate and Respond to Threats in the Laboratory,” at the 2026 APHL Annual Conference. Shoolah Escott and Crystal Fortune manned the poster for questions. The poster was submitted for ABSA’s 2026 Conference as well.

Shoolah Escott and other APHL members presented a course at the 2026 APHL Annual Conference, promoting the use of the ABSA Laboratory-Acquired Infection (LAI) Database when developing training and risk assessments. It also highlighted tools that laboratories can use in their exposure investigations.

Lead: Karen Byers
Vice Leads: Esmeralda Meyer and Margie Juergensmeyer

The Laboratory-Acquired Infection (LAI) Database continues to have new and historical papers being added. At least four papers have cited the database and more continue to be identified.

2026 Webinars:

• 07 Large-scale Biosafety – July 15 & 22
• 15 Temporary Workers in Laboratories: OSHA Requirements and Best Practices – July 21
• 06 Molecular Biology 101 – July 23 & 30
• 10 AI‑Enabled Lab Safety: A Hands‑On Workshop for Researchers and Biosafety Professionals – August 5
• 17 Biosafety in Open & Shared Laboratories – August 6
• 08 Virus-based Gene Transfer Vectors – August 13 & 20
• 16 Introduction to Animal Research for Biosafety Professionals – August 19 & 26
• 11 Enhancing Biosafety Training with Generative AI: Multimedia Tools, Workflows, and Best Practices – September 2
• 12 Accidents to Actions: Lessons from Laboratory-Acquired Infections – September 10 & 17
• 14 Toxin Science and Safety – September 23

For the full list of ABSA Professional Development Virtual Courses, visit absa.org/professional-development. There are 7 virtual courses associated with the 69th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. Virtual courses begin in August!

Recordings Available for Limited Time:

• 68th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference
• USDA ARS 8th International Biosafety & Biocontainment Symposium: Addressing Agricultural Biorisk
• Introduction to Biosafety in the Clinical Setting
• Fundamentals of Microbiology and Infectious Disease
• 26BSS01 Agricultural Biosecurity: Protecting Animal Health, Public Health, and the Environment
• Concepts of Virology
• Utilizing Measures and Metrics to Sell Your Biosafety Program
• Beat the Bite: Tick Safety for Research Teams
• 4th Biosecurity Virtual Symposium

On-demand Modules:

• Advanced Biosafety Training Series
• Biosafety Cabinet Basics
• Basic Disinfection
• Basic Biosafety
• ABSA Learning Verification Opportunities

For questions related to courses, please email education@absa.org.
For additional courses and events, please visit ABSA International’s calendar.

Thanks to the Public Relations/Marketing Committee, ABSA has promotional videos for ABSA and our ABSA Conference. The videos can be found on the ABSA website and on ABSA International’s YouTube channel at. Also, ABSA’s YouTube channel has video interviews of conference presenters and keynotes. Feel free to share the video, use it in presentations, or link to it from your websites.

Through Member Clicks, not only can you access the Members’ Directory; you can update your contact information under the “My Information” link; view events you have registered for under “My Events”; access your educational credits under the “My Professional Development” link; and print a copy of past invoices under “My Transactions.” You can also purchase ABSA International publications, shirts, and other products.

The Job Board allows employers to connect with biosafety and biosecurity professionals and has opportunities available to continue to advance their career. Employers who post a position will gain access to some of the top professionals in the biosafety and biosecurity field. If you would like to post to the Job Board or find out more about the opportunities, visit the ABSA Job Board page.

The Anthology of Biosafety series is now available at no cost to ABSA members!
The 14-book series published between 1999 and 2015 addresses biosafety in different settings:

I: Perspectives on Laboratory Design
II: Facility Design Considerations
III: Application of Principles
IV: Issues in Public Health
V: BSL-4 Laboratories
VI: Arthropod Borne Diseases
VII: Biosafety Level 3
VIII: Evolving Issues in Containment
IX: Exploring the Performance Envelope for BSL-3 and BSL-4 Laboratories
X: Animal Biosafety
XI: Worker Health and Safety Issues
XII: Managing Challenges for Safe Operations of BSL-3/ABSL-3 Facilities
XIII: Animal Production and Protection – Challenges, Risks, and Best Practices
XIV: Sustainability

ABSA Members must be signed in to download individual chapters of interest. Click here for more information.

In alignment with our core organizational values, ABSA International (ABSA) encourages positive connections between biosafety professionals, scientists, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the public. It is our organization's policy to administer all activities without discrimination on the basis of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, marital/familial status, and veteran status. These practices extend to all aspects of ABSA’s activities and to all roles within the association (e.g., member, ambassador, employee, mentor, sponsor, and vendor).

ABSA International is committed to providing an environment that encourages the free expression and the exchange of scientific ideas and promotes respectful treatment for all participants. All members are expected to treat others with respect and consideration and follow ABSA International policies. ABSA International prohibits and will not tolerate any form of harassment or bullying. Harassment is unwanted and unwelcome attention or other conduct that creates an environment where a reasonable person would feel unwelcome, intimidated, excluded, or abused. Harassment based on gender, race, religion, national origin, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, political affiliation, or any other personal characteristic is strictly prohibited. Bullying is repeated behavior that intentionally harms, intimidates, or humiliates an individual. This policy applies to all ABSA International members and guests at ABSA International sponsored activities, events, and on all ABSA International platforms. If a member experiences or witnesses’ harassment or bullying, the individual should contact ABSA International staff as soon as possible. All complaints are taken seriously, will be responded to promptly, and handled confidentially to the extent possible. Upon receipt of a complaint, ABSA International will investigate through appropriate channels. If the complaint is found valid, resolution may include restricting the individual from participating in ABSA International sponsored activities or events and on all ABSA International platforms or revoking membership. Providing false information about a harassment or bullying situation can lead to disciplinary action by ABSA International, similar to the consequences for the actual offense. ABSA International expressly forbids any retaliation against individuals for reporting harassment or bullying.