Biosafety Heroes Award

The IFBA’s Biosafety Heroes program identifies and celebrates extraordinary individuals who make significant contributions to help others in the field of biorisk management. Biosafety Heroes serve as role models, showing others that each individual is important and can contribute to the global fight against infectious diseases.

Selection Criteria:
  • Nominees are selected on their uniqueness, the specific accomplishments he or she has achieved that are truly remarkable, and the impact their work has had on others.
  • Preference is given to individuals who
    • operate in an environment where biosafety funds are limited, and/or where the importance of biosafety is not fully appreciated.
    • have not yet been recognized with other biosafety awards.
  • Nominations are welcome for people at all stages in their careers.
Selection Mechanism:
  • Nominations can be made by anyone. They should be emailed to the International Federation of Biosafety Associations: secretariat@internationalbiosafety.org
    • The deadline for nominations for the 2021 awards is December 20, 2021.
    • Nominations are welcome at any time. Once received they will be considered for at least one year.
  • Winners are chosen by a selection committee based on the criteria outlined above.
Biosafety Heroes Working Group members:

• Michael Weaver, United States (chair)
• Viji Vijayan, Singapore
• Lela Bakanidze, Georgia
• Abiodun Denloye, Nigeria
• Tatyana Novossiolova, Bulgaria
• Helen Leonard, Australia
• Richa Sood, India
• Mohammad Dwairi, Jordan
• Plebeian Medina, Philippines

Download Biosafety Heroes Nomination Form
2021 IFBA Biosafety Hero

The following outstanding individual who, through recognition by an international panel of their peers, has been awarded the distinction of being named IFBA’s 2021 Biosafety Hero.

Dan Dano Ibrahim has been a champion for biosafety and biorisk management in Niger and the West African region for several years. As a leader in the West Africa Biorisk Management Trainers Network, he has trained many medical and veterinary staff in the region, as well as mentoring additional trainers. He provides ongoing assistance to West African institutions in preparing their biosafety manuals and participates in the drafting of national directives related to biorisk management. Dan Dano Ibrahim is one of only a few people in Niger to have achieved IFBA Certification in Biorisk Management and encourages other to do the same. In these and other ways he has tirelessly advocated for biosafety, despite frequently limited resources.

Dan Dano Ibrahim

Qualiticien/Biosécurité & Biosureté
Chargé de Recherche/Chef Service Qualité
Centre de Reserche Médicale et Sanitaire, Niamey, Niger

Past recipients of the Biosafety Hero Award
  • 2011 – Aamer Ikram (Pakistan), Indrawati Sendwo (Indonesia), Namazbek Abdikerimov (Kyrgyz Republic), Jean Gratz (Tanzania)
  • 2012 – Siripan Wongwanich (Thailand), Edith Tria (Philippines), Dinara Turegeldieva (Kazakhstan)
  • 2013 – Lela Bakanidze (Georgia), Mahama Touré (Ivory Coast)
  • 2014 – José Alberto Díaz‐Quiñonez (Mexico), Atef ElGendy (Egypt)
  • 2015 – T.S. Saraswathy (Malaysia), Albert Bunyasi (Kenya), Leila Macedo (Brazil)
  • 2016 – Miguel Martin N. Moreno II (Philippines), Doris Bota (Kenya)
  • 2017 – Diah Iskandriati (Indonesia), Faizatul Lela Jafar (Malaysia)
  • 2018 – Deo B. Ndumu (Uganda)
  • 2019 – Abeer Elsayed Abdelaziz Mohamed (Egypt), Olga Burduniuc (Moldova)
  • 2020 – Selmania Abderrahmen (Algeria), Nasir Ahmed Stanikzai (Afghanistan) – 10th Anniversary