Registration and the Symposium Program are available at:
http://arssymposium.absa.org 

The USDA ARS 5th International Biosafety & Biocontainment Symposium, being held February 11-14, 2019, in Baltimore, Maryland. The focus of the symposium will be Biorisk and Facility Challenges in Agriculture. Seven professional development courses will address topics including life science security, facility maintenance and operational issues, agricultural risk assessment, emergency response and preparedness for livestock disease outbreaks, waste management, and strategic leadership. Courses will be held on Monday, February 11. There will be 2-1/2 days of scientific presentations covering various topics including; governance updates, design methodologies, deferred maintenance, rabies, occ health laboratory to the field, gene editing, risk management and communication, and many others. The poster and networking reception will be held on Wednesday, February 13, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with presenters and discuss their presentations. Exhibits showcasing the latest biosafety, biosecurity, and biocontainment products and services will be open February 12-13. For more information on the program and exhibits go to http://arssymposium.absa.org.

Featured Presentations:
  • A Global Perspective on Biorisk and Facility Challenges in Changing Agricultural Landscapes 
    Henk Jan Ormel, DVM, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy  
  • Horse Pox 
    Victoria Olson, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
  • Contract Mechanisms for Containment Labs 
    Bradley Andersen, RA, Merrick & Company, Greenwood Village, CO
  • Factoring Biorisk Management into Sustainable Design 
    Heather Sheeley, MS, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
  • Renovation of an Aging High-Containment Greenhouse
    Reid Frederick, PhD, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fort Detrick, MD
    Henry Hays, PE, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD
  • Risks of Deferred Maintenance  John Henneman, MS, RBP, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
  • Occupational Health Laboratory to Field
    Lee Wugofski, MD, MPH, FACOEM, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, San Francisco, CA
  • Food Safety & Food Defense
    Jessica Pulz, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food and Safety Inspection Service, Washington, DC
  • Biorisk Management Issues Relative to Sterile Fly Production Facilities
    Gwen Keller, PhD, U.S. Department of Agriculture-APHIS, Pacora, Panama
  • African Swine Fever-Global Gap Analysis
    Douglas Gladue, PhD, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Orient Point, NY
  • USDA ABC
    Joseph Kozlovac, MS, RBP, CBSP, SM(NRCM), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD
Professional Development Courses:
  • Scenario-based Agricultural Risk Assessment
  • Animal Disease Response Training
  • Biosecurity 101
  • Risks of Deferred Maintenance in High-Containment Facilities
  • Implementing Biosecurity Solutions
  • Introduction to Strategic Leadership Principles for Biorisk Management
  • Waste Management

In addition to the valuable courses and sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to network with professionals from the biosafety, biosecurity, and scientific research industries, organizations, and agencies from around the world!

More information including exhibitors and sponsor information can be found here http://arssymposium.absa.org.

If you have any questions or need additional information email ABSA International at info@absa.org.