Pre conference course B - Biorisk analysis in complex biorisk management settings: bowtie risk models in biorisk visualization and communication - Tie a bow and catch the butterfly - Instructors
Pre conference course B - Biorisk analysis in complex biorisk management settings: bowtie risk models in biorisk visualization and communication - Tie a bow and catch the butterfly
About the speakers
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Uwe Müller-Doblies
Academic Education and Degrees
PhD degree in veterinary medicine(DVM), doctorate in virology & epidemiology, diplomate in veterinary public health (Dipl ECVPH)
Present Professional Position
Director Safety and Environment, Corporate Biosafety Officer, Merck Sharp Dohme
20 years experience in operational and strategic biorisk management, gained in government, academia and private industry. Special focus on physical and procedural biorisk management of high containment facilities, animal facilities, and pharmaceutical plants. Pioneering bowtie risk models since 2009 in complex biorisk management settings (biobowties).
Advocate for sustainable biocontainment and risk based biosafety controls.
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Vibeke Halkjaer-Knudsen
Current Position
CEO and Owner, Vipsit LLC ApS.
Vipsit provides strategic and operational biorisk management support for high-containment laboratories and large-scale vaccine production facilities, diagnostic and research laboratories, animal- and plant facilities, with a focus on biosafety, biosecurity, and regulatory compliance across the full facility lifecycle, from early design and construction through commissioning and operational readiness.
Educational qualifications
Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
M.Sc. in Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.Experience
I am an internationally experienced senior subject matter expert in biosafety, biosecu-rity, and biorisk management, with more than 30 years of experience across public health institutes, national laboratories, vaccine production, and international advisory roles.
I have held senior leadership positions at Sandia National Laboratories, supporting the U.S. Department of State and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency on global biologi-cal threat reduction, outbreak preparedness, and high-containment laboratory pro-grams. In this context, I authored and reviewed policies, preparedness and contin-gency plans, and operational SOPs, translating threat and vulnerability analyses into practical governance documents and implementable procedures. My work included threat and vulnerability assessments, large-scale tabletop exercises, and capacity-building activities across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Previously, I served in senior management and biosafety leadership roles at Statens Serum Institut and as an independent consultant to governments, universities, and in-dustry. Across these roles, I have been responsible for establishing and maintaining biosafety, biosecurity, and emergency preparedness policies, developing management plans, and drafting and approving SOPs supporting GMP-compliant vaccine production and high-containment laboratory operations. This has included hands-on responsibility for the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of BSL-3 and enhanced containment facilities, as well as advising on ISO 35001-aligned biorisk management systems and delivering advanced training for biosafety officers, laboratory staff, engi-neers, and leadership.
Alongside my employed roles, I have continuously provided independent biosafety and biorisk management consulting for public and private organizations since 2006.
Other information
I am an active contributor to international biosafety and biosecurity initiatives and currently serve as a containment advisor within the WHO GAP IV Containment Advisory Group for polio eradication. I have contributed as author or reviewer to several international guidelines and standards related to biosafety, biosecurity, and laboratory design, including BMBL, NIH Design Requirements Manual, GAP III and IV, and CEN workshop agreements.
I am a long-standing member of both the European Biosafety Association and the American Biological Safety Association and regularly contribute as an instructor and invited speaker at international biosafety conferences and professional training courses.