Conference on Biosafety Issues Scheduled for May 14 At The University of Texas at Austin

May 8, 2008

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AUSTIN, Texas — A conference on biosafety issues in university research will be held May 14 at The University of Texas at Austin.

Speakers include experts in working with select agents and toxins, administrators on keeping laboratories safe and environmental health professionals.

The university's Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is the conference sponsor.

The committee's chair, Dr. Alan Lloyd, an associate professor in the Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, said that biosafety is a complex and constantly changing issue at research and medical institutions.

"These institutions are dedicated to the safety of employees, researchers and the surrounding communities while also providing a climate where high-level research and medicine can be performed," he said. "Conferences such as this one present opportunities for biosafety professionals and anyone concerned with biological safety to come together to share the latest information on safety issues, regulations, and the needs of researchers and their communities."

The conference is geared toward researchers, administrators concerned with compliance with research regulations, university officials, members of committees overseeing research practices and those responsible for enforcing biosafety regulations.

Presentations run from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Avaya Auditorium, room 2.232, in the Advanced Computation and Engineering Sciences (ACE) Building on The University of Texas at Austin campus. A catered buffet will be available for all registered attendees during the lunch break.

Speakers are:

• Dr. Robbin Weyant, director of select agents and toxins, Centers for Disease Control
• Dr. Bruce Whitney, institutional biological safety officer, Texas A&M University
• Christopher Johnsen, director of research government affairs, University of Texas Medical Branch
• Dee Zimmerman, environmental health & safety consultant, University of Texas Medical Branch
• Tam Johnson, occupational health nurse manager, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Attendance at the conference is free, but registration is required. Register for the biosafety conference online.

For more information, contact: Tim Green, Office of the Vice President for Research, 512-475-6596.