Virtual Events

Course 1

MAY 12 - 13, 2026 Opens: 7:00 AM CT

4th Biosecurity Virtual Symposium

The 4th Biosecurity Virtual Symposium will bring together biosecurity professionals from a wide range of disciplines with varying expertise to share their experiences and knowledge on diverse biosecurity topics. The Symposium will offer attendees an opportunity to learn the latest in biosecurity and have thought-provoking conversations about real-world biosecurity issues, concerns, and scenarios. Some of the presentations scheduled for 2026 are:

Assessing Biosecurity Threats: A Socio-Technical Approach
Virtual Biorepository to Strengthen Institutional and National Biosecurity Status Contributing to
Global Public Health Security
Information Disclosures in Biosecurity
Having a Say: Thirty Years of Public Commenting on the Select Agent Regulations

Who should attend?

Biosafety and biosecurity professionals, defense contractors, emergency responders, government employees, law enforcement personnel, security personnel, policymakers, regulators, researchers, students, and other interested parties.

Symposium Highlights

Virtual Professional Development Courses: Enhance your biosecurity knowledge and skills through specialized online courses
Two Full Days of Presentations: Engage with leading experts in biosecurity, covering the latest developments, best practices, and challenges in the field
Keynote Speaker 1: Edward You, MS, EHY Consulting, LLC, Washington, DC – Biosecurity in the Convergence Era: Safeguarding Research in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology
Keynote Speaker 2: Becky Mackelprang, PhD, Engineering Biology Research Consortium, Emeryville, CA – Built to Code: Standards and International Alignment for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening

Speakers

Kate Adamala

BIOGRAPHY
Randy Albrecht, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)

BIOGRAPHY
Md Asadulghani, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Adejare Atanda, DMD, DrPH, MPH

BIOGRAPHY
Larbi Baassi, PhD, IFBA-CP, AfRSME Africa-CDC

BIOGRAPHY
Stephanie Batalis, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Danelle Bickett-Weddle, DVM, MPH, PhD, DACVPM

BIOGRAPHY
Charles Broaddus, DVM, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Anne-Sophie Brocard, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), CHMM, CSP

BIOGRAPHY
Ryan Burnette, PhD
Rebecca Caruso, MPH, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), CAGS

BIOGRAPHY
Leyma P. De Haro, PhD, RBP(ABSA)

BIOGRAPHY
Scott Dee, DVM, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
James Diggans, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Valentin Disashi, MS

BIOGRAPHY
Colleen Driskill, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)

BIOGRAPHY
Nicole Drumhiller, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
David Gillum, PhD, RBP(ABSA)

BIOGRAPHY
Jessica Hammes, MA

BIOGRAPHY
Susan Harper, DVM, MS, DACLAM, DACVPM, RBP(ABSA)

BIOGRAPHY
Klintsy Torres Hernandez, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Shelley Jorgensen, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Becky Mackelprang, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Claudio Mafra, DVM, MSc, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Andrew Maksymowych, PhD, RBP(ABSA)

BIOGRAPHY
Michael Parker, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
David Perrin, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Scott Pfister, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Casey Skvorc, PhD, JD

BIOGRAPHY
Richard Spence, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Enitra Jones Sprouse, PhD, ASC, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)

BIOGRAPHY
Joshua Turse, PhD, CBSP(ABSA)

BIOGRAPHY
Kathleen Vogel, PhD

BIOGRAPHY
Kathleen M. Woods Ignatoski, PhD, CPBCA

BIOGRAPHY
Edward You, MS

Agenda Share

Download Agenda

MAY 12, 2026 8:00 AM CDT

Session I: Welcome/Keynote Speaker

8:00-8:10am : ABSA International President’s Welcome

8:10-8:15am : Biosecurity Symposium Steering Committee Welcome

8:15-9:00am : Biosecurity in the Convergence Era: Safeguarding Research in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology

9:00-9:15am : Q&A Session

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Anne-Sophie Brocard, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), CHMM, CSP

Enitra Jones Sprouse, PhD, ASC, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)

Edward You, MS
MAY 12, 2026 9:25 AM CDT

Session II: Biosecurity by Design: Assessing What Matters Most

9:25-9:45am : Behavioral Intervention in High-Consequence Environments

9:45-10:05am : Assessing Biosecurity Threats: A Socio-Technical Approach

10:05-10:25 : Building Laboratory Cyberbiosecurity Capacity: Lessons from Morocco’s Cyber-SLAT Pilot Implementation

10:25-10:55am : Q&A Session

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Nicole Drumhiller, PhD

Casey Skvorc, PhD, JD

Kathleen Vogel, PhD

Larbi Baassi, PhD, IFBA-CP, AfRSME Africa-CDC
MAY 12, 2026 11:05 AM CDT

Session III: Biosecurity Transportation

11:05-11:25am : The Risks of Crossing Borders with Undocumented Biological Materials

11:25-11:45am : TBD

11:45-12:05pm : Border Enforcement of Biological Materials

12:05-12:35pm : Q&A Session

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Klintsy Torres Hernandez, PhD

Jessica Hammes, MA
MAY 12, 2026 1:30 PM CDT

Session IV: Beyond Compliance: Modern Biosecurity Regulatory Oversight

1:30-1:50pm : Creating a Biosafety Quality Assurance Program

1:50-2:10pm : Having a Say: Thirty Years of Public Commenting on the Select Agent Regulations

2:10-2:30pm : NIH Initiative to Modernize and Strengthen Biosafety Oversight Update: Biosecurity and Biosafety Perspectives

2:30-3:00pm : Q&A Session

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Kathleen M. Woods Ignatoski, PhD, CPBCA

Michael Parker, PhD

Andrew Maksymowych, PhD, RBP(ABSA)
MAY 12, 2026 3:10 PM CDT

Session V: Select Agent - State of the Union Discussion

3:10-4:10pm : U.S. Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP) – Oversight of Select Agents and Toxins

4:10pm : Close of Day

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Shelley Jorgensen, PhD

Scott Pfister, PhD

Enitra Jones Sprouse, PhD, ASC, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)

MAY 13, 2026 8:00 AM CDT

Session VI: Welcome/Keynote Speaker

8:00-8:05am : Biosecurity Symposium Steering Committee Welcome

8:05-8:50am : Built to Code: Standards and International Alignment for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening

8:50-9:05am : Q&A Session

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Ryan Burnette, PhD

Becky Mackelprang, PhD
MAY 13, 2026 9:15 AM CDT

Session VII: Welcome/Keynote Speaker

9:15-9:35am : Strengthening Biosecurity Systems in Low-Resource and High-Risk Settings

9:35-9:55am : Challenges of Commissioning High-Containment Laboratories in Brazil

9:55-10:15am : Virtual Biorepository to Strengthen Institutional and National Biosecurity Status Contributing to Global Public Health Security

10:15-10:45am : Q&A Session

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Valentin Disashi, MS

Claudio Mafra, DVM, MSc, PhD

Md Asadulghani, PhD
MAY 13, 2026 10:55 AM CDT

Session VIII: Agricultural Biosecurity

10:55-11:15am : Agricultural Biosecurity in the One Health Era

11:15-11:35am : Challenges of Commissioning High-Containment Laboratories in Brazil

11:35-11:55am : Virtual Biorepository to Strengthen Institutional and National Biosecurity Status Contributing to Global Public Health Security

11:55-12:15pm : Protecting the States’ Herd/Flocks

12:15-12:45pm : Q&A Session

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Susan Harper, DVM, MS, DACLAM, DACVPM, RBP(ABSA)

Scott Dee, DVM, PhD

Richard Spence, PhD

Danelle Bickett-Weddle, DVM, MPH, PhD, DACVPM

Charles Broaddus, DVM, PhD
MAY 13, 2026 1:45 PM CDT

Session IX: Emerging Technology

1:45-2:05pm : Information Disclosures in Biosecurity

2:05-2:25pm : Governing Autonomous Laboratory Systems: Biosecurity Risks of AI-Enabled Automation

2:25-2:45pm : Biosecurity Policy in Practice for Dual Use and Pandemic Pathogen Research

2:45-3:15pm : Q&A Session

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Adejare Atanda, DMD, DrPH, MPH

Leyma P. De Haro, PhD, RBP(ABSA)

David Gillum, PhD, RBP(ABSA)
MAY 13, 2026 3:25 PM CDT

Session X: Emerging Technology II

3:25-3:45pm : Synthetic Cells: New-to Nature Opportunities and Concerns

3:45-4:05pm : Mirror Life is a Threat That has Been Taken Out of Proportion

4:05-4:25pm : Q&A Session

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

David Perrin, PhD

Kate Adamala
MAY 13, 2026 4:35 PM CDT

Session XI: Biosecurity Advancement

4:35-5:05pm : NIH Modernization Panel

5:05-5:35pm : Gene Synthesis Screening Policy Panel

5:35pm : Close of Symposium

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Randy Albrecht, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)

Rebecca Caruso, MPH, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), CAGS

Colleen Driskill, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)

Andrew Maksymowych, PhD, RBP(ABSA)

Joshua Turse, PhD, CBSP(ABSA)

James Diggans, PhD

Stephanie Batalis, PhD

Enitra Jones Sprouse, PhD, ASC, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA)