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- About NEBSA
What's NEBSA?
NEBSA, the New England Biological Safety Association, is a professional organization which aims to promote knowledge of biological safety and to support those working in the field of biosafety. NEBSA provides local educational and networking opportunities in the New England region for those with an interest in biological safety. Formed in 1996, NEBSA is an affiliate of the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA International).
NEBSA Board Members for 2026-2028
President:
Mike McCarthy, RBP (ABSA), CHMM (running for 1st term)
Mike started his biosafety career at The Broad Institute and currently fills the role of Biological Safety Officer for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, located in Boston MA. The Vertex biosafety program encompasses R&D for small molecules, cell and gene therapies, investigating emerging biological modalities, and process development for viral vector manufacturing and stem cell differentiation at both the research level and GXP level. Mike is the chair for the Vertex Institutional Biosafety Committee and is a voting member of the IACUC. Mike is also active in other biosafety groups including being a member of the Scientific Program Committee for ABSA and an active member of the Pharmaceutical Biosafety Group. Mike has presented biosafety talks at multiple organizations including Hanson-Wade EHS conference, Pharmaceutical Biosafety User Group Annual Meeting, and NEBSA annual conference. Mike is also a moderator at the annual ABSA conference.
Mike advocates for a holistic and easily implementable approach to biosafety programs. He values NEBSA as a key platform for promoting knowledge, best practices, and supporting the growth and development of individuals throughout their careers.
Secretary:
Marina Kirkland, Ph.D.
Marina Kirkland brings a unique blend of academic expertise and hands-on biosafety experience to the table, making her an ideal candidate for the Secretary position at the New England Biosafety Association. With an MS in Biomedical Sciences and a PhD from Dartmouth College focused on pathogen-host interactions, Marina possesses a robust foundation in biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, and molecular biology. Her advanced knowledge in molecular biology and microbiology is complemented by practical experience in biosafety, having served as an Assistant Biosafety Officer at UCLA and now as Associate Biosafety Officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
As a biosafety officer, Marina is responsible for a wide range of duties, including conducting inspections, supporting the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), coordinating high containment programs, and ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies such as the City of Boston, the state Department of Public Health, and federal agencies. Her experience in training, emergency response, policy revision, and safety onboarding, along with her contributions to fostering a safety culture within the research community, combined with strong organizational skills, a collaborative nature, attention to detail, and excellent communication skills equips her with the expertise necessary to effectively support and advance the goals of the New England Biosafety Association.
Robert Griffin, RBP, CBSP
Robert is currently a Senior Consultant at Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc (EH&E) and has been serving as the Biosafety Officer for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for 10 years. In addition to managing the biosafety program, Robert also provides biosafety and EHS support for smaller consulting projects in healthcare and industry labs.
Before entering the biosafety field, Robert served as a Laboratory Supervisor in infectious disease labs as well as roles in research operations and IBC coordination. Robert holds the Registered Biosafety Profession as well as Certified Biological Safety Professional credentials through ABSA International.
Robert graduated with a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and maintains an active interest in environmental microbiology.
Membership Coordinator:
Carolina Sánchez Cano
Carolina was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Biology and completed a Medical Technology program. She began her career as a medical technologist in the Microbiology laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), gaining hands-on experience in bacteriology, mycology, serology, and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Carolina later worked as an EHS consultant at Environmental Health & Engineering (EHE), where she conducted laboratory safety inspections, hazardous waste management, PPE compliance, and safety training, which introduced her to the field of biosafety. She returned to MGH as the Biosafety Officer, a role she has held for over two years.
As the current NEBSA Membership Coordinator, Carolina has been highly active on the board, regularly communicating with members and supporting the organization’s initiatives. She is excited for the opportunity to continue serving in this role, strengthening the biosafety community and fostering connections among colleagues.
Social Media Coordinator:
Molly Bergeron MPH, RBP (ABSA)
Molly is the Biosafety Officer for the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard and also works as a Biosafety Officer at the MGH main campus, positions she has held since last summer. Prior to this, she worked for several years as a Biosafety Manager for the University of Georgia's Office of Biosafety, where she helped to manage a large and diverse research program that included two BSL-3 facilities and a Select Agent program. Molly is a Registered Biosafety Professional through ABSA. As a relative newcomer to the area, she is hoping to become more involved with the local biosafety community by helping to manage the NEBSA website and improve the group's social media outreach.
Councilors:
Dana Buckley, MS, RBP, CBSP
Dana is a health and safety professional specializing in research laboratory safety and providing support to the life sciences sector in both industry and higher education. She is currently the Biological Safety/Security Officer and Biosafety Program Manager at University of New Hampshire, Durham, where she has worked since 2014. In this role Dana manages research biological safety and biosecurity programs to assure compliance with regulatory requirements, including NIH and OSHA. Dana is also a principal in Benchmark Safety Services, a company offering laboratory safety services for life sciences R&D. Dana has a bachelor’s in Physiology from the University of Connecticut and a MS in Environmental Studies from UMass Lowell. Dana is a member of ABSA and has her RBP and CBSP certifications.
Dana has been an active member of NEBSA’s Board for the past three years and hopes to be able to continue this service for another term.
Sebastian Gajardo
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Sebastian Gajardo moved to Boston three years ago with a passion for scientific research and safety. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Austin College and currently serves as the Senior Biosafety Program Coordinator at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he helps manage the biosafety program to ensure the safety and compliance of laboratory environments. Previously, he served as the Lab Manager at the Social Communications Lab at the University of Texas at Dallas and the All of Us Research Program at Boston University, where they gained hands-on experience in managing labs, coordinating research activities, and ensuring safety for both researchers and participants.
Sebastian is eager to join the NEBSA committee as a councilor to contribute to the growth and development of biosafety practices within the community. He believes biosafety is vital for protecting research environments and public health and wants to play an active role in advancing these efforts. Sebastian also sees this as an opportunity to learn and grow as a leader, collaborating with other professionals to strengthen biosafety standards and culture in the region. Committed to helping NEBSA fulfill its mission, he is excited to contribute their skills to drive positive change in the field.
Krisanthi Giaya, MS, RBP
Kris came into the Biosafety field 8 years ago after being an infectious diseases researcher and lab manager in UMASS Chan Medical School from 2000-2017 and a research assistant in the Institute of Biology Tirana in Albania from 1990-1996.
As the Biosafety Manager for the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and the Alternate Responsible Official for a Tier One CDC Select Agent program, Kris has developed and executed various components of the biosafety and biosecurity program. She is an elected member of the IBC and provides biosafety and biocontainment expertise, advise on risk management and communication strategies. She proposes and helps implement safety improvements for research protocols that fall under NIH Guidelines and or UMass Chan policy. Kris also conducts risk assessments to mitigate hazards posed by agents and experimental procedures. As a current NEBSA counselor, she is looking forward to the opportunity to continue working on the NEBSA board.
Ike Jacob, PhD
Ike was born and raised in Benin City, Nigeria, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology and a Master's degree in Virology before moving to the United States to complete a Ph.D in Microbiology and Immunology. He currently serves as a Senior Biosafety Program Coordinator at Boston Children's Hospital, where he supports the IBC program by working alongside research personnel to conduct risk assessments for routine lab practices and procedures and provide guidance on strategies to mitigate risk to personnel and the environment.
With over eight years of hands-on experience in biomedical research, Ike developed SOPs to inactivate high biocontainment pathogens and validated the effectiveness of the inactivation protocol as a research assistant at SUNY Upstate. He also has experience working within BSL-3/ABSL-3 laboratories and facilitated the training of new personnel studying select agents in these facilities. As a Councilor, Ike would seek to contribute fresh ideas, learn from seasoned biosafety professionals, and help drive the advancement of biosafety practices within NEBSA.
Amy Razukiewicz MPH, CPH, RBP (ABSA)
Amy Razukiewicz, Associate Director, EHS & Biosafety Officer at the Broad Institute, has over 15 years of experience in Biosafety and all facets of EHS. For the past two years, she has been at the Broad Institute overseeing the biosafety program and the BL3 lab safety program. Before joining the Broad, Amy was at New York Medical College, where she progressed through roles of increasing responsibility, ultimately serving as Director, EHS. In that role, Amy was also the Biosafety Officer, Select Agent Responsible Official, Radiation Safety Officer, and Dental Clinical Compliance/Infection Prevention Officer for Touro College of Dental Medicine. She holds a bachelor's degree from Skidmore College and a master's degree from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Amy is interested in becoming more involved in the biosafety community, promoting and increasing the visibility of biosafety.