Speakers at EBSA Conference 2022 and Preconference courses

EBSA Conference 2022 and Preconference courses

About the speakers

  1. Adrian PEREŞ

    Adrian PEREŞ

    Adrian Pereş works at the European Commission in the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety leading the EU4Health Task Force. His team is developing and launching the annual work programmes under the EU4Health Programme, which is the main financial instrument to implement Union’s health policies. He has contributed to the development and adoption of the EU4Health Regulation 2021/522 and worked on better regulation in the same directorate.

    In the past, at the European Commission, he has contributed to the implementation of energy efficiency policy, the development and implementation of research and innovation policy on biodiversity and worked as a researcher on molecular aspects of organic agriculture. Before the European Commission, Adrian has worked in the academia and a start-up company as a researcher in plant biotechnology, and in the private sector on food safety and environmental risk assessment of GMOs.

    He holds a master in Political Sciences, a PhD in biology and graduate studies in agriculture.

  2. Allan Allan Bennett

    Allan Allan Bennett

    Allan Bennett OBE
       
    Academic Education and degrees
    B. Sc (hons), Microbiology – University of Glasgow 1979-1983
    M.Sc, Process Biotechnology – University of Birmingham 1983-1984
    Present Professional Position
    Head of Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency.
    Co-Head WHO Collaborating Centre in Applied Biosafety and Training
        

    Principal Investigator and scientific expert in aerobiology, biosafety, environmental microbiology, high containment laboratories, and disinfection. Heads a research group of 20 scientists undertaking research in the fields of respiratory virus transmission, aerobiology, biocontainment, water microbiology and SARS-CoV-2.  Has over 100 (h=30) peer reviewed scientific publications. 

  3. Bas Kolen

    Bas Kolen

    Bas Kolen (living together, 2 children) graduated in 1999 at the University of Twente at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Management. In 2013 he obtained his doctorate from Radboud University University in which he looked at the effectiveness of multi-layer safety and evacuation as part of the (flood) risk approach.

    Bas is Director of Research and Development and senior partner at HKV Lijn in water (since 2015). HKV (www.hkv.nl, 80 employees) is an independent consultancy that focuses on 'water and safety' and where knowledge entrepreneurship is central. Within HKV, Bas has been working on issues related to flooding and climate risks since 1999, looking at protection, adaptation and crisis management. Dealing with risks and uncertainty is central to his work.
    > 20 years of experience in research and projects in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Japan, United States, Romania, Czech Republic, Germany and France. Related to healthcare issues, he has looked at the vulnerability and evacuation of hospitals and healthcare institutions, the cascade effects of a flood on health. He also conducted research into risk-based decision-making about (forms of) evacuation in the event of an imminent flood.

    Since 2015, Bas has also been part-time at TUDelft. He started here as an initiator and connector for research into natural disasters within the Safety and Security Institute at the Faculty of Technology, Governance and Society. From 2022 he will be Senior Technical Officer for the TUDelft role within the Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness Center.

    After the outbreak of COVID-19, Bas became involved in research around the pandemic, which also focuses on dealing with risks. He started this to gain more insight into the
    relationship between valuing (lost) human lives during a crisis and during policy studies. To this end, he has drawn up and published a cost-benefit analysis (in ESB), with special attention to the effect of the uncertainty in the situation without measures. In addition, he is involved in Fieldlab events. To this end, he and a team of colleagues in
    In collaboration with Radboud UMC and BUAS, a Risk Assessment Model has been drawn up based on the test events. With this model, measures can be evaluated to determine whether the risks of infections and hospital admissions are acceptable. He is currently (in collaboration with Utrecht UMC, Erasmus UMC and Erasmus University) involved in research into the effectiveness of CTB evidence and various forms of access for VWS.

  4. Delphine Beeckman

    Delphine Beeckman

    Academic Education and Degrees

    • Bio-Engineer in Cell and Gene Biotechnology, Master in Bioscience Engineering: Cell and Gene Biotechnology, Ghent University, Belgium (2005)
    • Laboratory Animal Science: FELASA Cat. B and C (2006)
    • PhD in Applied Biological Sciences: Cell and Gene Biotechnology, Ghent University, Belgium (2009)
    • Environmental Coordinator type A (2014)


    Present Professional Position

    • Global Biosafety Manager
    • Expert – Global Regulatory Affairs, Global Biosafety

    at BASF Belgium Coordination Center, Innovation Center Gent, Belgium

    Special Remarks 

    • Conference Programming Work Group EBSA 2013-2022
    • Head of Local Organizing Committee EBSA 2014
    • Belgian Biosafety Professionals (BBP) President 2015-2018

    Over 15 years of experience in Biosafety, focusing on the use of regulated and non-regulated biological materials in containment (e.g. labs, greenhouses, animal facilities), obtaining permits, performing risk assessments, following up on developments in legislation for different types of biological materials and implementing Biorisk Management Systems.

    Experience in document management systems, process and procedure optimization, and integrated management systems (combining environment, biorisk, health and safety and quality standards developed according to the ISO High Level Structure).

  5. Dimiter Prodanov

    Dimiter Prodanov

    Dr. Dimiter Prodanov, MD, Ph.D., obtained an MD degree from the Medical University – Sofia in 1999 and a Ph.D. degree from the Twente University, Enschede, the Netherlands in 2006.

    He was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the International Brain Research Organization to continue his research in neuroprosthetics at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, in 2006 and later at the University of Liege, Belgium. Since 2008 Dimiter Prodanov joined Imec, Belgium in the role of a Senior Scientist in neurotechnology. Since 2013 Dimiter Prodanov also became an affiliated researcher in Neuroscience Research Flanders and a member of the safety team in Imec. From 2016 to 2018 Dr. Prodanov successfully coordinated the H2020 project NanoStreeM. He is a biosafety coordinator, and a nanosafety specialist and he supports actively Imec’s research programs in life sciences, health care, and nanoelectronics. Dr. Prodanov has extensive experience in the risk assessment of viral vectors and related induced genetic modifications. Dr. Prodanov is an EBSA council member since 2021 and a member of the EBSA biocide task force.

  6. Doris Boschma

  7. Elisabeth Heylen

    Elisabeth Heylen

    Working for over ten years in virology research, I gained a broad experience in the biomedical field, as a scientist studying different infectious diseases at KULeuven, and as a biosafety manager of the laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy at the Rega Institute for Medical Research.

    EDUCATION

    PhD Biomedical Sciences/ University of Leuven, Jan 2010 - May 2014
    Master of Biomedical Sciences/ University of Leuven, Sept. 2003 - July 2009
    Qualified teacher: Biomedical Sciences/ University of Leuven, Sept. 2006 - July 2009

    WORK EXPERIENCE

    Postdoctoral researcher/ University of Leuven, June 2014 - December 2016

    Wellcome Trust funded project: Development of small molecule directly acting non-entry inhibitors against the human respiratory syncytial virus.

    Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Advisor: Prof. dr. Johan Neyts.

    Biosafety manager laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Since June 2016

    I became the biosafety coordinator of the high containment facilities at the Rega institute, the largest BSL3 facilities in Belgium. In addition, I manage both technical and managerial aspects related biosafety of infectious diseases and molecular biology BSL1 and BSL2 laboratories. I developed theoretical and hands-on training programs for the safe operation of labs within V&C. I have experience with the daily management of research facilities, including (but not limited to) GLP, PPE, waste management, emergency procedures, disinfection methods, import and export procedures. Advisor: Prof. dr. Dominique Schols.

    Team leader laboratory kitchens Virology and Chemotherapy, Since January 2016

    I am coordinating a dedicated team in order to guarantee the continuity of the research (sterilizing equipment and waste and ordering and resupplying lab consumables).

    President Belgian Biosafety Professionals, Since January 2021

    The Belgian Biosafety Professionals (BBP) provide a forum for biosafety professionals to exchange experience, developments and issues in biosafety practices and regulation in a Belgian context.

    Member of the Board of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Since July 2021

    I was elected to be member of the board and council as representative of the academic staff (AAP-BAP-OP1-OP2).

  8. Emmanuelle Boilan

    Emmanuelle Boilan

    After 6 years as a researcher at UNamur, 9 years as a safety adviser and occupational hygienist at CESI, of which 4 as head of the Safety-Hygiene team, I decided to found my own consulting company, Wakari srl, to advise companies on IT, (Bio)Safety and occupational hygiene issues.

    Professional experience

    • From 2022: Freelance in Prevention, Occupational Hygiene & Biosafety - Co-founder at Wakari
    • From 2015 : Guest professor for school programs for prevention advisors and biosafety officers
    • From 2014 : Member of board for Belgian Society for Occupational Hygiene
    • 2018-2022 : Team manager of Safety & Occupational Hygiene unit at CESI 
    • 2012-2022 : Industrial/Occupational Hygienist at CESI, biohazard expert
    • 2010-2012 : Researcher scientist for « Proteomage » (EU) and « Nanotoxico » (W) projects, 6 publications -
      • for the European research network (EU 6th Framework) with Pr. Olivier Toussaint (UNamur) « Proteomage - to gain novel insight into molecular mechanisms of healthy aging »
      • for the Wallonia research network with Pr. Olivier Toussaint (UNamur) « Nanotoxico - to develop in vitro and in vivo tests for nanoparticles toxicity assement »
    • 2006-2010 : Researcher-PhD student FRIA-FNRS, Pr. Olivier Toussaint (UNamur) « On the role of copper and the Prion protein in cellular aging », 3 publications
    • 2002-2006 : Multi-skilled worker at Maredsous Abbey

    Education

    • 2018-2019 : Certificate for specialization in Occupational Hygiene, CPFB-UCLouvain
    • 2016-2017 : Certificate for Level 1 Safety Advisor, UO-ULiège
    • 2014 : Certificate for Biosafety, CEFOSCIM-UNamur
    • 2006-2012 : PhD in Life Sciences, biochemistry and molecular biology, UNamur
    • 2001-2006 : Master's degree in Life Sciences, BBMC, UNamur
  9. Franca RIZZO

    Franca RIZZO

    Academic Education and Degrees
    2013 Graduate certificate in biosafety and biosecurity
    2000 Master degree in quality management
    1998 Bachelor degree in biochemistry

    Present Professional Position
    Quality and metrology manager
    Biosafety officer

    Special Remarks
    Member of the Committee for control of biohazards in the ANSES laboratories
    EBSA member
    IVBW member

    Activity :
    Manager of the LRFSN contained facilities (BSL-3 and ABSL-3) : design, follow up and reconditioning, in-house trainings
    Biorisk manager

    Peer-Reviewed periodicals
    Allix S., Garin Bastuji B., Jestin V., Madani N., Marianneau P., Monchâtre-Leroy E., Rizzo F., Rousset E., Sidi-Boumedine K. et Zini S.- Implementation of the new French regulations on microorganisms Euro Ref., 2013, n°11, pp 5-9.
    Allix S., Etienne S., Garin-Bastuji B., Gassilloud B., Iteman I., Jestin V., Lavissière F., Madani N., Marianneau P., Monchâtre-Leroy E., Rizzo F., Rousset E. et Zini S.- Methodological guide to the assessment of biological safety and security risks Euro Ref., 2013, n°11, p 13.
    Maris P., Allix S., Etienne S., Garin Bastuji B., Gassilloud B., Lecarrou G., Madani N., Marianneau P., Monchatre-Leroy E., Rizzo, F., Rousset E., Sidi-Boumedine K. et Zini S.- Methodological guide to the implementation of a process for airborne surface disinfection applied to containment areas. Euro Ref., 2014, n°12, pp 11-18.

    Books, book chapters
    Allix S, Bécard N, Bellanger L, Biagetto L.G., Binz T, Binder P, Braun N, Carbonnelle C, Cavallo JD, Chao ML, Courcol R, de Cavel JP, Descamps S, Edelman AC, Hoest P, Jaulhac B, Le Saux R, Liang L, Marianneau P, Mérens A, Pannetier D, Paucod JC, Peyrefitte C, Rizzo F, Schramm F, Simons J, Valade E, Zini S.- Manuel de sécurité et de sûreté biologiques SFM, 2014, 123 p

  10. Hein Imberechts

    Hein Imberechts

    Hein Imberechts is Scientific Support Advisor at Sciensano, Belgium

    He holds a degree of Veterinary Medicine (1985, University of Ghent, Belgium) and of Molecular Biology (1988, Free University of Brussels, VUB) and obtained a PhD in 1992.

    His main topics of research were E. coli infections in pigs, Salmonella and antimicrobial resistance.

    From July 2001 until January 2015 he was the Head of Department / Operational Director of bacteriology at CODA-CERVA, the Belgian reference laboratory for infectious animal diseases. Since February 2015 he is scientific coordinator and later Scientific Support Advisor at the Strategy and External Positioning unit at Sciensano, the Belgian Institute for Health.
    From December 2012 until December 2020 he was assigned Biosafety officer (BSO) at Sciensano.
    He is member of the working group of foodborne infections at Sciensano since the late ’80, was member of the scientific committee of the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain in Brussels between 2001 and 2016, and president of Veterinary Working Group of the Belgian Antibiotic Policy Coordination Committee (BAPCOC) between January 2015 and December 2017. Since december 2019, he is member of the Scientific Council of ANSES in Paris.
    Since 2012 he represents his institute in the MedVetNet Association and since October 2018 he is Vice-President of this association. he was member of the European ERA-Nets EMIDA and ANIHWA and is member of the Animal Health and Welfare (AHW) sub-group of the Collaborative Working Group of the Standing Committee for Agriculture Research (SCAR). As from October 2019, he is elected chair of this CWG. In 2016, he created with the veterinary faculties of UGent and ULiège STAR-IDAZ.be, a regional consortium of the global animal health network. 
    Since January 2018 he is scientific coordinator of the One Health European Joint Programme within Horizon2020 together with ANSES (Paris, FR) and also work package leader on Joint Research Projects in the same cofund EJP. This project is a network of 38 animal and public health partners in 19 member states and manages a budget of €90M (50% co-fund).

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hein-imberechts/

  11. Karen van der Meulen

    Karen van der Meulen

    Academic Education and Degrees

    • Doctor in Veterinary Science (2003), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium
    • Doctor in Veterinary Medicine DVM (1998), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium

    Present Professional Position

    Senior Biosafety Manager at 3Bio (https://3bio.eu/biosafety/)

    3Bio offers efficient solutions for biorisk management and regulatory compliance.
    Biorisk management covers all aspects of biological safety and security such as risk assessment, containment requirements, training, audit, transport, waste handling and emergency preparedness. 3Bio experts can act as external biosafety officers to your organisation. 3Bio integrates technical background with an in-depth knowledge of the European regulatory requirements for biological material, including genetically modified organisms. We assist clients in complying with complex regulatory requirements on e.g. contained use, workers protection, import and export, emergency planning, deliberate releases such as field trials and clinical trials, as well as commercial applications.

    Special Remarks

    • Senior expert in biosafety and biotechnology regulation
    • Long term expercience in R&D in life sciences
    • Active member of key biosafety associations and working groups
  12. Keith Hamilton

    Keith Hamilton

    Keith Hamilton is Head of the Preparedness and Resilience Department at the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Keith is a veterinarian with a background in international health.

    At the OIE, he has worked on emergency management; pandemic preparedness; emerging infectious diseases; capacity of veterinary services; wildlife health; and on global strategies for biological threat reduction.

    From 2015-2017, he was recruited by Kansas State University (USA) College of Veterinary Medicine to establish an international program.

    Prior to joining the OIE, he worked for the UK Government (2004-2007) advising on policies for exotic animal disease surveillance and control.

    Earlier experiences include mixed animal practice in the UK, Australia, and India, and in field disease surveillance and control programmes.

    He was born in Jersey, Channel |Islands, and educated at Liverpool University Veterinary School and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

  13. Kyra Delsing

    Kyra Delsing

    Kyra Delsing (MA) works as a researcher at the Rathenau Instituut. She has a background in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences (Utrecht University) and a master in New Media and Digital Culture (University of Amsterdam). Within the Rathenau Institute she specializes in the societal aspects of biotechnology and leads the T-TRIPP (Tools for Translation of Risk Research into Policies and Practices) project on safety in biotechnology and the BaSyC (Building a Synthetic Cell) project on the societal and ethical aspects of the development of the synthetic cell. She also co-developed a podcast series together with designer Mies Loogman on the synthetic cell called “Herschept” (or Recreated in English).

    Before the Rathenau Institute, Kyra worked as a content manager and a behavioral scientist at a consultancy agency in the field of online behavior change. As a behavioral scientist, Kyra conducted extensive behavioral studies based on qualitative and quantitative research and set up online experiments (A/B-tests) to validate and further investigate findings or assumptions.

  14. Luca Nelli

    Luca Nelli

  15. Marc-Alain Widdowson

    Marc-Alain Widdowson

    Education

    London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

    • 1997 Master of Science in Communicable Disease Epidemiology : ‘Distinction’

    Cambridge University 

    • 199 4 Master of Arts (MA) - Biological Anthropology and Medical Sciences.
    • 1992 Veterinary Medicine (VetMB)

    Experience

    • 2019 – present
      Director, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
      Academic institute of 480 staff with mandate for fundamental, translational and applied research, education, clinical service, and capacity building, with large international collaborative network.
    • 2015- 2019 Director, Division of Global Health Protection, US-CDC, Kenya
      Technical direction of large scientific research program of emerging infectious diseasesincluding Alkhurma, CCHF, Rift Valley Fever, Zika and other pathogens in humans and animals 
    • 2014 –2015 Co-Principal investigator of Ebola Vaccine Evaluation Team- STRIVE, US-CDC
      Lead of Atlanta and Field team to design and implement Ebola Vaccine Phase III trial in Sierra Leone of investigational Ebola vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV in healthcare workers.
    • 2008 –2015 Lead, International Epidemiology and Research Team, Influenza Division, US-CDC
      Lead of teams sent to Mexico to investigate origins of pandemic swine H1N1 in 2009 and of team sent to China to investigate emergence of H7N9 in 2013.
    • 2001- 2008 Medical Epidemiologist- Division of Viral and Respiratory Diseases US-CDC
      Lead of foodborne virus epidemiology program, with focus on noroviruses. 
    • 1999- 2001 EPIET fellow-National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), The Netherlands.
      Surveillance studies; early warning algorothms; outbreak investigation and zoonotic source of Hepatitis E virus, norovirus, rotavirus and other causes of foodborne disease.
    • 1998- 1999 Veterinary Zoonosis Epidemiologist, Department for International Development (DFID), Bolivia
      Urban/rural rabies outbreak investigation and dog/vampire control. 
    • 1996-1996 Veterinary wildlife disease epidemiologist (DFID), Zimbabwe. 
      Epidemiology of wildlife viral diseases including foot-and-mouth disease, theileirosis and  novel Trichinella infection of farmed crocodileCertified wildlife immobilisation.
    • 1992- 1996 Veterinary practitioner – Large/small animal.  Tuberculosis and brucella testing in rural France.
  16. Marcel van Bergen

    Marcel van Bergen

    Dr. Marcel van Bergen is a BioRiskProfessional at the Radboud Campus (Radboud  University and Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands) and affiliated companies. In  2010 he started there as a BioRiskProfessional / BioSafetyOfficer, OccupationalHealthHygienist (with focus on biological agents) and EnvironmentalSafetyOfficer.

    Currently, he is in charge of the BioRiskPrevention team in Nijmegen.
    Since 2019 he is chairing the Dutch Biosafety Platform (BVF-Platform). He is a member of the EBSA Conference Program Working Group since 2018, and chairing this group since 2022.

    From 1997 till 2010 he was active as Technician, Researcher, ProjectLeader, QualtiyAssuranceOfficer and BioSafetyOfficer at the Central Veterinairy Institute in Lelystad (Wageningen University, NL).
    In 2005 he finalised his PhD thesis on Molecular Typing of Campylobacter fetus (Utrecht University, NL).
    Additionally, from 2002 till 2010 he was a trainer for the Foodsafety Surveillance Programme of the World Health Organisation.
  17. Mark Wheatley

    Mark Wheatley

    Mark Wheatley is a Biocontainment Engineer, Chartered Building Services Engineer, and a specialist consultant in Containment Laboratory Design, Construction, Operation & Maintenance (since 1998).

    Mark is an independent consultant operating internationally providing services tailored to meeting highly specialist needs of companies, organizations, institutions, governments and NGOs worldwide. Marks particular specialism lies in the detailed investigation, fault-finding and remediation of poorly functioning, failing and/or failed biocontainment facilities. Mark has extensive experience spanning more than 23 years of problem solving worldwide, and also a broad portfolio of allied skills such as auditing and project management as well as developing wider skills including training and authoring.

    Mark is currently appointed to MORU (the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Bangkok, Thailand) as the Project manager for the DTRA/BTRP (US Defense Threat Reduction Agency/ Biological Threat Reduction Programme) funded project to renovate the Regional Reference Laboratory (RRL) for FMD (foot and mouth disease) for Southeast Asia located at Pak Chong in Thailand; Mark is also appointed a as technical expert to the Dutch NAC (National Authority for Containment) as the biocontainment engineer advising the 5 person WHO GAPIII PEF (polio essential facility) audit team. In the recent past Mark has acted as the interim Senior Biocontainment Engineer for DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs UK). Mark was Key Expert 4 on the EU CBRN CoE Project 46 during which he developed and delivered training to Engineers, Architects and Scientists from 8 ASEAN countries on ‘Laboratory Design, Construction, Operation and Management’ including the production of a booklet “A broad introduction to the design and construction of biosafety laboratories in low-resource settings”. Mark was also a contributor to the recently released WHO LBM4 monograph on Laboratory Design & Maintenance, and is a volunteer on the Sandia National Laboratories (US) twinning programme. Mark is currently a member of the ISO TS 7446 Writing Team working on a guidance document in support of ISO 35001, Biorisk management for laboratories and other related organisations. Mark lives in Cornwall in the UK.

    Mark specialises in peer review and is also often invited as a technical expert to join on the expert panel of structured risk assessment teams (SWIFT, HAZOP etc.) on critical systems such as EDS (effluent decontamination systems), autoclaves, and high containment HVAC & Controls. During his time at Defra Mark worked closely with the Functional Safety specialist contractor at Defra working to satisfy HSE (Health and Safety Executive) requirements. This interest in Functional safety and structured risk assessments was first kindled during the initial response to the HSE investigations after the 2007 FMD Outbreak in the UK and Mark worked closely with HSE delivering a £3M+ project to enhance the safety systems in place at both the Pirbright and Compton sites of the Institute for Animal Health (Pirbright Laboratory).

    Academic Education and Degrees

    • B.Eng (Hons) Building Services Engineering Design & Managment
    • HNC Instrumentation and Control Engineering
    • ONC Electrical and Electronc Engineering
    • ONC Mechanical and Production Engineering
    • ONC (level II) Building Services Engineering

    Present Professional Position

    • Director, Environment & Services Ltd.; Biocontainment Engineer
    • Project Manager: MORU-DTRA refurbishment of FMD RRL in Southeast Asia(BTRP)
  18. Mirjam Schaap

    Mirjam Schaap

    Dr. ing. Mirjam Schaap is participant of the Biosecurity Office at the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands. After finishing her PhD in the field of toxicogenomics (2014) she has been working as a scientific advisor at the Centre for Environmental Safety and Security (RIVM). Next to her contribution to the Biosecurity Office, she is also member of the Biological Response Unit (operational and advise) and the Center for Environmental Health (collaborating with the health and environment department of Municipal Health Services). Mirjam is a IFBA Certified Professional in Biorisk Management.

    Her main focus at the Biosecurity Office is on outreach and awareness. This includes developing products and tools like Biosecurity webtools (Vulnerability Scan and the Dual-Use Quickscan), the biosecurity newsletter (only in Dutch available), and also the organization of biosecurity webinars and symposia in the Netherlands.

    As a biosecurity expert she participated in the peer review exercises conducted by the Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (2015), Germany (2016) and Morocco (2017). Depending on their exact scope, peer reviews can help to build confidence, contribute to strengthening national implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and also facilitate international cooperation and assistance.

  19. Myra Widjojoatmodjo

    Myra Widjojoatmodjo

    Academic Education and Degrees:

    PhD. Faculty of Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
    MSc. Molecular Sciences, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Present Professional Position

    Scientific Director Global Environmental Risk Assessor
    Environmental Product Compliance and Sustainability, Global Sustainability, Janssen R&D (since 2019)

    Currently responsible for the Environmental Risk Assessments of Janssen R&D product portfolio: chemicals (API SM) and biologicals, including genetic modified organisms [GMO]s) for Marketing Authorization and clinical trials

  20. Pascale Van Rooij

    Pascale Van Rooij

    Pascale Van Rooij is trained in Biology, holds a PhD in Veterinary Sciences and is environmental coordinator (type A). She has 15 years of experience in medical microbiology. She started her career at Sciensano as a scientific attaché and subsequently as curator of the BCCM/IHEM culture collection of biomedical yeasts and fungi. As research assistant at UGent (faculty of Veterinary Medicine) she focused on amphibian in vitro-modelling and in vitro pathogenesis studies.

    In 2017 she joined Perseus BVBA, a service provider for biosafety and regulatory requirements in biotechnology. Perseus aims at helping clients to find their way through the European & international regulatory obligations for biological material (such as, but not limited to, Contained use-, Plant & Animal Health-, Biocidal Products-, Transport-, and Biobank Regulations, WHO GAP III), and to work safely and in compliance.

    Since 2021, she has been secretary of the BBP Steering Team and has been active in the BBP Task Force on Liquid Biological Waste. In 2021-2022 she actively participated in a thorough revision of the BBP Guidance document on the Movement of Biological Materials.

  21. Patrick Rüdelsheim

    Patrick Rüdelsheim

    Trained as a biologist, Patrick Rüdelsheim started his career in a Dutch seed company. He then joined Plant Genetic Systems N.V., Ghent, Belgium. After being in charge of Product Development and Registration, he was appointed Director Regulatory Affairs and Member of the Board. 

    Following the acquisition of PGS, he became Global Head of Biotechnology Regulatory Affairs for the AgrEvo group and remained in this function during the subsequent creation of Aventis S.A. and the acquisition by Bayer. In this function, he ensured the scientific argumentation for Product Safety and Quality as well as the compliance with all regulatory acquirements related to genetic engineering.

    In 2003, he founded and became General Manager of Perseus BV, a service company focused on bio-safety and related regulatory requirements. Mid 2015, he was co-founder and served as Senior Regulatory Advisor for ABS-int, a multi-disciplinary initiative dedicated to Access and Benefit Sharing requirements for genetic resources. Since 2023, Perseus and ABS-int operate together as 3Bio, in which he acts as Director and Chief Regulatory Officer. In this capacity he offers his extensive and global experience in every aspect of biosafety and biotechnology regulation to a range of users and developers. He lectures on biosafety and regulations at the University of Ghent and the University of Antwerp.

  22. Paul Odinot

    Paul Odinot

    Academic Education and Degrees

    • Master in Medical Biology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (1991)
    • PhD in Medical Microbiology: Molecular diagnosis and characterization of Yersinia enterocolitica infection, Radboud UMC/University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (1998)

    Present Professional Position

    • Biosafety coordinator / Biorisk Management Advisor, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, 1998 - present

     Special Remarks 

    • President BVF platform, The Netherlands, 2007 - 2012
    • Chair Education committee, BVF platform, 1999 - 2008
    • Member Disinfection committee, BVF platform, 2010 - present
    • Developer of GRiMaS, Webbased database for registration of GMO riskassessments and legal requirements in The Netherlands

    Dr. Paul Odinot has over 25 years of experience in biosafety, biosecurity and focusing on the legal requirements for e.g. working with (GMO) biological materials, animal byproducts, CITES, the Nagoya protocol and Biocidal Products Regulation.

  23. René Custers

    René Custers

    Academic Education and Degrees

    Msc in molecular sciences, Wageningen university, The Netherlands

    Present Professional Position

    René Custers is regulatory & responsible research manager at VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology), Belgium. He has more than 25 years of experience in regulatory affairs, biosafety, and the societal and ethical aspects of modern biotechnology. He is an expert in the legislation and safety of GMOs and genome edited organisms and has been very active in the European debate on the regulatory status of genome edited organisms. At VIB he coordinates the institutes’ policies on regulatory compliance, (bio)safety, ethics and integrity. He is also involved in science communication activities to a wider audience. He is a member of the Belgian Biosafety Advisory Council, and member of the board of EU-SAGE (European Sustainable Agriculture through Genome Editing).

  24. Rik Bleijs

    Rik Bleijs

    Dr. Rik Bleijs is head of the Biosecurity Office at the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands. In 2006 he joined the RIVM and started at the department of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Office where he was involved in the biosafety aspects and the environmental risk assessment of medical and veterinary gene therapy studies. Since 2009 he is involved in the political and scientific implementation of a coordinated biosecurity policy in the Netherlands and the installment of a Biosecurity Office (2013). As head of the Biosecurity Office his main tasks are to advise the different ministries on biosecurity issues, to act as a bridge between the scientific biosafety and biosecurity professionals and the government, and to increase biosecurity and dual-use awareness among students, scientist and laboratory professionals. As a biosecurity expert he is also involved in various international biosecurity projects and initiatives (EU CBRN action plan, Global Health Security Agenda, Global Biosecurity Dialogue, G7, European Biosecurity Regulators Forum, Biological Weapons Convention), thereby supporting the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 2021 he is co-chair of the International Experts Groups of Biosafety and Biosecurity Regulators (IEGBBR) representing the Netherlands and EU region. In the recent years he organized several capacity building workshops and meetings in Europe, Asia and Africa in the context of international projects to strengthen biosecurity and dual-use assessment global.

  25. Teun Bousema

    Teun Bousema

    Full Professor in Epidemiology of Tropical Infectious Diseases at Radboudumc (The Netherlands) and honorary professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (UK). Prof Bousema is specialised in the biology and epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum with over 200 publications on malaria and other infectious diseases. He is an elected member of the Academia Europaea and advisor to the World Health Organization on malaria elimination. According to a recent analysis, he belongs to the 20 most cited malaria researchers worldwide.

    Education

    2011 Certificate in higher education, University of London
    2003 – 2007 PhD Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands
    1995 – 2000 MSc in Toxicology and Epidemiology, Radboud universiy Nijmegen, the Netherlands

    Key publications

    • No time to die: An in-depth analysis of James Bond's exposure to infectious agents. Travel Med Infect Dis, 2021.
    • Sources of persistent malaria transmission in a setting with effective malaria control in eastern Uganda: a longitudinal observational cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis 2021
    • Higher gametocyte production and mosquito infectivity in chronic compared to incident Plasmodium falciparum infections. Nature Communications 2021 
  26. Wouter Graumans

    Wouter Graumans

    PhD Candidate at the Radboud Institute for Health Sciences at Radboudumc (The Netherlands). Wouter Graumans has a background in microbiology and molecular biology. He has been working on the tropical disease malaria for more than 12 years and started a PhD in 2020. He currently focusses on the under studied area of sporozoite inoculation rates by Anopheline mosquitoes and the dynamics of malaria transmission.

    Education

    2020 PhD candidate Radboudumc
    2005 – 2008 Hogeschool Utrecht, bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Molecular Biology
    2001 – 2005 Rijn IJssel College Arnhem, Technical Microbiology

    Key publications

    • No time to die: An in-depth analysis of James Bond's exposure to infectious agents. Travel Med Infect Dis, 2021. •
    • A mosquito feeding assay to examine Plasmodium transmission to mosquitoes using small blood volumes in 3D printed nano-feeders. Parasite and Vectors, 2020.
    • When Is a Plasmodium-Infected Mosquito an Infectious Mosquito? Trends in Parasitology, 2020.

Register

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Prices

Ticket type Price
Non-Member conference ticket € 690.00
Non-member conference ticket + conference dinner € 755.00
Non-member conference ticket + conference dinner + printed conference book € 785.00
Non-member conference ticket + printed conference book € 720.00

                                    | EBSA member | non member
Register by
January 31st 2022
Super Early Bird
Conference ticket             |            425 €    |     550 €
Printed conference book  |              25 €    |       25 €
Conference dinner           |              60 €    |       60 €


Register by
February 28th 2022
Conference ticket             |            490 €    |     590 €
Printed conference book  |              30 €    |       30 €
Conference dinner           |              65 €    |       65 €

Register from
Match 1st 2022 onwards
Conference ticket             |            590 €    |     690 €
Printed conference book  |              30 €    |       30 €
Conference dinner           |              65 €    |       65 €

All prices are including 21% VAT

Due to the pandemic we will start invoicing and payment of your registration after March 15th 2022. So you can register now at Super Early Bird or Early Bird conditions and pay after March 15th!