16th ANNUAL PREVENTING AND TREATING BIOLOGICAL EXPOSURES: AN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH COLLOQUIUM
PRECONFERENCE COURSES:
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM – IMPLEMENTING AN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PLAN FOR HIGH-RISK PATHOGENS
David Hill, MEM, CIH, New York State Department of Health – Wadsworth Center
Deborah N. Barbeau, MD, PhD, MSPH, Occupational and Environmental Health Network (OEHN)
Working with high-risk pathogens, such as those handled in BSL-3 laboratories, requires a structured, multi-layered occupational health plan to protect workers, the community, and the environment. There are significant governmental and public concerns centered on ensuring that both research and diagnostic testing activities involving pathogens with potential for societal consequences are conducted with appropriate safeguards to protect both research integrity and public health. This session will walk through the key program elements and management systems necessary for establishing comprehensive medical surveillance and response protocols for recognizing and responding to both exposure incidents and reported symptoms involving high-risk pathogens to minimize risk to both workers and the public. Interactive case scenarios will be utilized to exercise the various components of a model occupational health plan template for high-risk pathogens and highlight the tools and strategies needed to develop a customized plan for your institution.
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM – VIRAL VECTORS: STATE-OF-THE-ART VEHICLES FOR GENE TRANSFER IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTICS
Patrick Condreay, PhD, RBP, Biosafety Consultant
Viruses are infectious agents that are exquisitely designed to package nucleic acid genomes into particles that are then able to efficiently deliver that genome to a new host cell. Viral vectors have been developed from several virus families to harness that ability to shuttle nucleic acids into cells and thus turn viruses into laboratory tools and clinical therapeutics. In this course we will explore general concepts of how viruses are turned into vectors then move onto specific characteristics of particular vector systems. Our goal is to provide participants with the knowledge to assess the risks involved with these tools, assign work practices for their safe use, and devise response strategies to mitigate the effects of accidental exposures. We will practice these skills through interactive reviews of experimental scenarios.
COLLOQUIUM:
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026
8:30 AM – WELCOME
8:45 AM – PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
OUR BIOLOGICAL FUTURE: A CROSSROADS FOR LIFE, HEALTH AND THE PLANET
Gigi Gronvall, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
Gigi Gronvall will discuss how advances in biotechnology are reshaping medicine, agriculture, and national security, creating both extraordinary opportunities and new risks. Drawing on real-world examples and policy debates, she will talk about how societies can foster innovation while responsibly managing biological threats, from emerging pandemics to the misuse of powerful new technologies. It is thoughtful governance and adherence to scientific data—not fear or thoughtless boosterism—which will be essential for navigating the biological century ahead.
THE BEST TIME TO PREPARE WAS YESTERDAY: H5 READINESS FOR HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS
Erin Sorrell, PhD, MSc, Johns Hopkins University
This plenary will review the global spread of H5N1 and outline current US preparedness and response plans and capabilities for spillover and preventive care. We will also discuss healthcare policy and patient care implications for community transmission. Case studies (group work) will accompany the plenary to explore various aspects of H5 patient care including case definitions, IPC, and patient discharge.
10:45 AM – BREAK
11:00 AM – UPDATE FROM NIH OSP ON THE BIOSAFETY MODERNIZATION INITIATIVE
Facilitator: Betsy Gilman Duane, MS, RBP, CBSP
Speaker: Kathryn Harris, PhD, OSP, NIH
Staff from the NIH Office of Science Policy will provide an update on the NIH Biosafety Modernization Initiative to strengthen biosafety policies, practices, and oversight to keep pace with the evolving risks posed by today’s rapidly advancing science and technology. As part of this initiative, NIH will modernize our existing biosafety policy to holistically address the emergent biosafety needs of today.
12:00 PM – LUNCH
1:00 PM – HERPES B
SURVEY ON MACACINE HERPESVIRUS 1: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POST-EXPOSURE TESTING
Facilitator: Thomas H. Winters MD, FACOEM, FACPM
Presented by: Association of Primate Veterinarians (APV) Elizabeth R. Griffin – Biohazards and Emerging Infectious Diseases (ERG-BEID) Committee, represented by Sherrie Jean, DVM, DACLAM
Macacine alphaherpes virus 1 (B virus, Herpes B virus, Herpesvirus simiae, Cercopithicine Herpesvirus 1) is arguably one of the most significant zoonosis of concern for staff working with nonhuman primate macaques and their tissues. Herpesviruses, such as Herpes B, are carried as latent infections in the primary host, begin replicating within minutes of inoculation, and have no cure once infection is established. Triage, testing, and post-exposure prophylaxis need to occur without delay. There have been a number of papers published over the years offering recommendations for diagnosis, testing, and treatment. This session will begin with a short review on the biology of herpes B (10-15 min), followed by a discussion amongst participants (10-15min) reviewing the species utilized at their facilities, PPE, and Occ Health practices for exposures (testing and treatment). The firSt discussion will be followed by a summary of currently published recommendations for exposures and testing, a summary of the results from a 2024 survey conducted by the Association of Primate Veterinarians (APV), and a preview of the guidance being drafted (30 min) by the APV Elizabeth R. Griffin – Biohazards and Emerging Infectious Diseases (ERG-BEID) committee. Lastly, we will conclude with Q&A and a discussion amongst attendees (15-20min) about their thoughts on the possible new guidance and how the updated recommendations may impact practices at their facilities.
2:30 PM – BREAK
2:45 PM – 2025 GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING OCCUPATIONAL HIV EXPOSURES: WHAT’S NEW AND WHAT ENDURES.
Facilitator: Katie Ayres, BSN, RN, COHN-S
Speaker: Deborah N. Barbeau, MD, PhD, MSPH, Occupational and Environmental Health Network
This talk will review the key updates in the 2025 US Public Health Service Guidelines for the management of occupational HIV exposures. Central updates include the shift to second-generation integrase strand-transfer inhibitor–based PEP regimens, a shortened timeline for post-exposure HIV follow-up testing, and elimination of routine interim laboratory monitoring for antiretroviral drug toxicity. It will also highlight the foundational elements of exposure management that remain unchanged in the updated guidance.
3:45 PM – PREPARING FOR THE GROWING THREAT OF MIS- AND DISINFORMATION
Facilitator: Erin Sorrell, PhD, MSc
Speakers: Aishwarya Nagar, MPH and Vanessa Gregoire, MSc, Johns Hopkins University
Harmful rumors, misinformation, and disinformation affect how people interpret risk around and respond during biological events. This session will help attendees recognize how these issues show up in their own work and learn about practical strategies to address them proactively and reactively. The content of this session builds on the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security’s work on building trust in public health, countering misleading and harmful health rumors, and countering disinformation around chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
5:00 PM – CONCLUSION
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026
8:30 AM – WELCOME
8:45 AM – VACCINE POLICY AT A CROSSROADS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
Facilitator: Michelle Kom Gochnour, MN, RN, COHN-S, RBP (ABSA)
Speaker: Richard H. Hughes IV, JD, MPh, Epstein Becker Green, GW Law Faculty
Vaccine policy in the United States has always depended on a fragile balance among science, law, public trust, access, and political restraint. That balance is now under extraordinary pressure.
This presentation will trace the past, present, and future of vaccine policy: how the United States built a vaccine infrastructure that improved access and reduced disease; how recent federal actions, litigation, misinformation, and political interference have destabilized vaccine recommendations and public confidence; and what the next phase may require to preserve evidence-based decision-making, equitable access, and preparedness for future biological threats.
10:15 AM – BREAK
10:30 AM – ON-SITE VS OFF-SITE OCC HEALTH SERVICES
Facilitator: Betsy Gilman Duane, MS, RBP, CBSP
Interactive Activity Facilitated by Planning Committee
12:00 PM – LUNCH
1:00 PM – SNEEZING & WHEEZING: EVALUATING AND CONTROLLING LABORATORY ANIMAL ALLERGENS ACROSS A UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
Facilitator: Erica Nystrom Santacruz, MBS, RBP
Speaker: Kaitlyn Estabaya, MPH-VPH, RVT, LVT, Environment, Health & Safety Animal Research Safety Program, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
This presentation evaluates Laboratory Animal Allergens (LAAs) across University of California vivariums through a coordinated, systemwide approach. It highlights cross-campus collaboration to support new sampling, standardize data collection, retrospectively analyze existing data, and develop shared resources. The discussion will outline key processes, stakeholders, lessons learned, and priorities for future efforts.
1:45 PM – CREATING A CLINICAL OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE PROGRAM IN RESEARCH SETTING
Facilitator: Maureen Thompson, BSN, RN, COHN-S, RBP
Speaker: Thomas H. Winters MD, FACOEM, FACPM
A successful occupational medicine program in research includes medical surveillance/evaluation program, surveillance program focused on detecting allergies in animal care workers, incident response programs, risk assessment and risk management approaches, hazards in biomedical research program, program governance and occupational health administration, and service delivery models.
2:30 PM – BREAK
2:45 PM – EMERGING TICK-BORNE DISEASES: EXPANDING RISKS FOR RESEARCH PERSONNEL
Facilitator: Gary Fujimoto, MD
Speaker: TBD
The incidence and geographic distribution of tick-borne diseases continue to increase, driven by expanding tick populations, changing environmental conditions, and the emergence of novel pathogens. While Lyme disease remains the most common tick-borne illness in North America, infections such as Powassan virus disease and Alpha-gal syndrome are also becoming increasingly recognized, highlighting the evolving landscape of tick-associated health risks.
This presentation will examine current epidemiologic trends and emerging research on tick-borne diseases relevant to laboratory, field, and animal research personnel. Topics will include the biology and transmission of key tick-borne pathogens and tick-derived allergens, clinical manifestations, diagnostic considerations, and prevention strategies. Particular emphasis will be placed on occupational risks associated with field collection, arthropod rearing, animal studies, and laboratory research involving ticks and tick-borne agents. The session will also discuss best practices for exposure prevention, early recognition of illness, post-exposure considerations, and the role of institutional biosafety and occupational health programs in protecting research staff.
4:30 PM – OPEN DISCUSSION: CURRENT TOPICS OF CONCERN
Discussion Facilitated by Planning Committee
