Lab Matters Summer 2025 | Page 44

PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

By Michael Marsico, program manager, Public Health Preparedness and Response

APHL continues to build its community of practice to enhance biosafety and biosecurity in public health laboratories and beyond. This community is comprised of laboratory biosafety professionals who interact regularly to enhance their knowledge and skills in biosafety and biosecurity. APHL provides opportunities for these biosafety professionals to connect via a number of platforms, such as APHL’ s ColLABorate communities and in-person opportunities for professional development and networking. Here are three takeaways from public health laboratory staff regarding these opportunities.

Building the Fundamentals of Safer Practices Through In-person Training

In 2024, APHL convened three Biosafety Technical Workshops to provide training to biosafety professionals on biosafety fundamentals and to network with each other.

Darryl Pendergrass Biosafety / Safety / Security Officer Alabama Department of Public Health

“ When I attended the APHL Biosafety Technical Workshop, I gained valuable knowledge and insights into performing my job as the Biosafety Officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health( ADPH) Bureau of Clinical Laboratories( BCL). Networking with other state Biosafety Officers and learning about their successes and struggles gave me tips and inspiration to perform my duties better. Whether it’ s how to make training more entertaining so that knowledge is retained better or new insights into performing risk assessments, I found time spent with other public health biosafety officers invaluable. The most important thing I gained and immediately put into practice at the BCL was a new risk assessment tool. This new tool has made risk assessments less subjective and more qualitative. I have started with all testing methods and procedures, both new and old, to conduct risk assessments using the new tool. This will increase the safety of laboratory personnel and public safety by better understanding and mitigating potential risks. I look forward to attending future workshops and sharing knowledge with other state biosafety officers.”

Biosafety Professionals Exchanging Knowledge and Resources

The APHL Biosafety Peer Network Program aims to strengthen biosafety and biosecurity by connecting PHLs to facilitate mentoring and information sharing among biosafety professionals. The exchange is expected to advance and harmonize biosafety and biosecurity in laboratories, while fostering a collaborative community— and ultimately improving PHL biosafety and biosecurity nationwide.

Heather Matthies Laboratory Safety Officer Washington State Department of Health

“ Representing the Washington State Public Health Laboratories( WAPHL) with my safety partner, Nicole Martin, and“ CoLABorating” with the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene( WSLH) safety team, Hannah Gander, Rebecca Fahney and Jared Kunich, we brought home a couple of safety concepts and incorporated those into our WAPHL Safety Team.

We took the WSLH idea of safety subcommittees for special projects and“ spill drills” and cross pollinated that idea to expand our own safety team to create a first aid team subcommittee, thus creating two more chair / co-chairperson leadership roles for staff and started developing several“ mini drills” designed to be quick, five-minute drills where lab staff can easily incorporate safety concepts into their routines These drills. also provide easy refresher training and mentoring moments for supervisors to use with staff.

By having APHL provide opportunities such as the Biosafety Peer Network Program for public health safety professionals to come together to share knowledge, ideas, and inspirations on how our respective labs operate and to learn from each other on ways to improve laboratory safety and culture has helped both of our teams.”

Creating the Next Generation of Biosafety Workforce

The Public Health Laboratory Fellowship Program: an APHL-US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention( CDC) Initiative, prepares scientists for careers in public health laboratory science and supports a wide spectrum of program areas including biosafety and biosecurity. APHL provides opportunities for these fellows to network with other public health laboratory staff and to collaborate with them on fellow sponsored projects.

Joseph Romanow Fellow New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories

“ I have had the opportunity to work at the New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories( NH PHL) these past 1.5 years as a fellow in the field of Biosafety and Biosecurity. With the help of my mentor, Michael Stevenson, PhD, I have assisted with many projects relating to those fields and then some. I was fortunate to be involved with the APHL / CDC ISO 35001( Biorisk Management) Program that occurred at the NH PHL, where activities included safety objectives, revamping the chemical inventory, updating the biospill and chemical spill kits, and my own personal project that I took on for my APHL fellowship: validating the biowaste sterilization cycles for the autoclaves within the NH PHL. I got to participate and share these experiences with other professionals and fellows at pilot program site meetings. This has been a rewarding fellowship, and I thank APHL, NH PHL and Michael Stevenson for this experience.”

APHL utilizes a multifaceted approach to building and maintaining a robust biosafety and biosecurity community— this includes virtual platforms such as ColLABorate, webinars and national calls, in-person training, peer-to-peer exchanges and fellowship programs. g