Scientific Program

4th Biosecurity Symposium Scientific Program
May 12-13, 2026

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Keynote Speaker

Edward You, MS, EHY Consulting LLC, Washington, DC
Topic: Emerging Biotechnology Threats and AI, and its Impact on the Biosecurity Profession

Biosecurity by Design: Assessing What Matters Most

  • Behavioral Intervention in High-Consequence Environments
    Nicole Drumhiller, PhD, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
    Casey Skvorc, PhD, JD, American Public University, Charles Town, WV
  • Assessing Biosecurity Threats: A Socio-Technical Approach
    Kathleen Vogel, PhD, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
  • Building Laboratory Cyberbiosecurity Capacity: Lessons from Morocco’s Cyber-SLAT Pilot Implementation
    Larbi Baassi, PhD, IFBA-CP, AfRSME Africa-CDC, Biorisk Management Association of Morocco (BMAM), Rabat, Morocco

Biosecurity Transportation

  • The Risks of Crossing Borders with Undocumented Biological Materials
    Klintsy Torres Hernandez, PhD, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Border Enforcement of Biological Materials
    Jessica Hammes, MA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Washington, DC

Beyond Compliance: Modern Biosecurity Regulatory Oversight

  • Creating a Biosafety Quality Assurance Program
    Kathleen M. Woods Ignatoski, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
  • Having a Say: Thirty Years of Public Commenting on the Select Agent Regulations
    Michael Parker, PhD, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
  • NIH Initiative to Modernize and Strengthen Biosafety Oversight Update: Biosecurity and Biosafety Perspectives
    Andrew Maksymowych, PhD, RBP(ABSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Keynote Speaker

Becky Mackelprang, PhD, Engineering Biology Research Consortium, Emeryville, CA
Topic: Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening Elements of EO 14292: Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research

Global Health Security

  • Challenges of Commissioning High-Containment Laboratories in Brazil
    André de Oliveira Mendonça, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
  • Virtual Biorepository to Strengthen Institutional and National Biosecurity Status Contributing to Global Public Health Security
    Md Asadulghani, PhD, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Agriculture

  • Agriculture Biosecurity in the One Health Era
    Susan Harper, DVM, MS, DACLAM, DACVPM, RBP(ABSA), Private Consultant, Shepherdstown, WV
  • What is the Future of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome in the U.S. and How Does Biosecurity Play a Role?
    Scott Dee, DVM, PhD, Emeritus, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and Pipestone Research, Pipestone, MN

Emerging Technology

  • Information Disclosures in Biosecurity
    Adejare Atanda, DMD, DrPH, MPH, Rand Corporation, Arlington, VA
  • Governing Autonomous Laboratory Systems: Biosecurity Risks of AI-Enabled Automation
    Leyma P. De Haro, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Merrick & Company, Greenwood Village, CO