Randy Albrecht

Dr. Randy Albrecht, Ph.D., RBP-CBSP (ABSA), is an accomplished biosafety and research compliance leader with extensive experience supporting biomedical research in academic medical centers and healthcare institutions. With a scientific foundation in microbiology and virology, he has dedicated his career to advancing laboratory biosafety, biorisk management, and regulatory compliance while enabling cutting-edge research to be conducted safely and responsibly.

In his role at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Albrecht provides strategic leadership for institutional biosafety programs, overseeing risk assessment, regulatory compliance, laboratory safety, and the implementation of best practices that support a diverse portfolio of basic, translational, and clinical research. He works collaboratively with investigators, institutional leadership, and regulatory committees to develop practical solutions that promote scientific innovation while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional requirements.

Dr. Albrecht is credentialed as a Registered Biosafety Professional and Certified Biological Safety Professional through ABSA International. He is an active contributor to the biosafety profession through committee service, scientific publications, professional presentations, and mentorship of emerging biosafety professionals. His interests include biosafety program development, institutional risk management, laboratory design and operations, emerging infectious disease preparedness, and fostering a strong culture of safety across the research enterprise. Through his leadership, he remains committed to protecting researchers, patients, the community, and the integrity of scientific discovery.

Alex Beaulieu

Alex is Director of EHS Toxicology at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where he brings more than a decade of experience as a board-certified occupational and product quality toxicologist in the pharmaceutical industry. In his current role, he helps protect workers and the environment by overseeing the development of Safety Data Sheets, Occupational Exposure Limits, and Permitted Daily Exposures.

In addition, Alex supports environmental risk assessments, the generation of occupational toxicology data for Vertex molecules, and REACH registrations. He chairs the Vertex Occupational Toxicology Team and the Worker Safety Documentation Committee, and collaborates closely with cross-functional R&D stakeholders to enable the safe handling and manufacturing of Vertex products.

Alex holds a master’s degree in pharmacology from the University of Sherbrooke. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT), a full member of the Society of Toxicology, and an active member of the Occupational Toxicology Roundtable.

Tony Gemmellaro

Tony Gemmellaro has over thirty-five years of experience in the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industry, public sector, healthcare and academic environments.  He served as an adjunct faculty member for higher education institutions.  Developed and taught a variety of safety related courses and science related courses at Anna Maria College and the University of Phoenix.  

Tony has held positions as the biological safety officer, chemical hygiene officer, and radiation safety officer for several biotech/biopharmaceutical companies, which included Shire, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Alpha-Beta Technology, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

• He served as the first biological safety professional in the public sector to regulate high containment facilities, created a permit process for laboratories and established routine inspections. Navigated difficult situations and fostered collaborative relationships. As a result of his focused and streamlined approach, new regulations were promulgated.
• He presented at three American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) conferences (2004, 2006 and 2023), with a focus on key accomplishments, best practices and challenges of the Boston regulatory process and existing regulations. 
• He developed audit and inspection criteria for BSL-3 programs and conducted over 30 inspections in BL-3 laboratories (select agent and non-select agents). There was positive adherence to BPHC requirements, with overall compliance with local, state and federal regulations.
• He consulted with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the CDC Select Agent program and other federal agencies.  Some of the initiatives include reducing the regulatory burden on biotech and pharmaceutical companies. The objective of the discussions focused on the ability to help reduce redundancy and improve consistency; defining the role of the emergency responders; improving biosecurity practices; and addressing issues related to the transportation of category A and B agents.
• Conducted inspections at federal government facilities in Fort Detrick, Maryland and Plum Island, New York.  These inspections covered OSHA and Biosafety requirements at BSL-3 facilities.
• Currently serves on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Medical and Biological Waste Alternative Treatment (MBWAT) Review Group, 2012 – present.

Michael J. Imperiale

Dr. Michael Imperiale is a native of New York City. He undertook his undergraduate and graduate education at Columbia University, receiving a B.A. in 1976, M.A. in 1978, and Ph.D. in 1981, all in Biological Sciences. He then moved to The Rockefeller University, where he first became interested in viruses while studying gene regulation in the human pathogen, adenovirus. During that time he was supported by postdoctoral fellowships from the Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Cancer Fund and the National Institutes of Health. In 1984, Dr. Imperiale joined the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan as the Arthur F. Thurnau Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1990 and to Professor in 1996. Dr. Imperiale served as Chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee from 2000-2008, as Director of the Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology from 2010-2015, and as Associate Vice President for Research – Research Policy and Compliance from 2017-2022. In 2009 Dr. Imperiale was the recipient of the University of Michigan Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award and in 2016 he received the Rackham Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award. He was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2010 and as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011. He is currently the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology.

Dr. Imperiale’s research interests focused on the study of DNA tumor viruses. He has made important contributions to our understanding of how these viruses regulate expression of their genes, contribute to oncogenesis, and interact with the infected cell in order to cause acute disease and persistent infections. His laboratory developed widely used in vitro models with which to study the biology of polyomaviruses in healthy individuals and immunosuppressed patients. Dr. Imperiale’s work has been published in leading journals in the field, and he has presented his findings at numerous national and international conferences. He has served an Editor of the Journal of Virology, PLoS Pathogens, and mBio. In 2015, he was appointed as Founding Editor-in-Chief of mSphere, published by ASM (formerly the American Society for Microbiology).

In addition to his laboratory research, for over two decades Dr. Imperiale has contributed significantly to discussions about science and biosecurity policy in the U.S. and internationally, With a focus on dual use and gain of function research. He has served on several National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine committees addressing the issues of responsible conduct of research, dual use life sciences research, and the intersection of science and security, and has published extensively on these topics. This includes chairing a study published in 2018 entitled “Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology,” and co-chairing a study on the benefits and risks associated with the application of AI to biology, “The Age of AI in the Life Sciences: Benefits and Biosecurity Considerations.” He previously served as an inaugural member of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity from 2005-2014; on the Planetary Protection Subcommittee at NASA; the Committee on Science, Technology, and Law at the National Academies; and the Board of Directors of the Van Andel Institute Graduate School. He is currently a Governor of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Marina Kirkland

Marina Kirkland is an experienced biosafety professional with a solid blend of academic knowledge and practical experience. She holds a BS in Biology from the UC San Diego; an MS in Biomedical Sciences from Western University of Health Sciences; and a PhD in Microbiology & Immunology from Dartmouth College, specializing in pathogen-host interactions. Her extensive academic background has provided her with a deep understanding of biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, and molecular biology. Marina’s research on infectious diseases has been published in high-impact journals such as Nature and the American Society for Microbiology's (ASM) mSphere, where her dissertation was awarded "Editor's Pick."

In addition to her academic work, Marina obtained a fellowship through the USDA, where she contributed to the development of therapeutics against foodborne toxins such as Staphylococcus Enterotoxin B (SEB) and Shiga Toxin. Her expertise is further strengthened by her hands-on biosafety experience, having served as an Assistant Biosafety Officer at UCLA, currently as the Associate Biosafety Officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and is a Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) with the American BioSafety Association (ABSA). In her current role, Marina manages a wide range of responsibilities, including conducting inspections, supporting the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), overseeing training programs, and ensuring compliance with regulatory agencies such as the City of Boston, the state Department of Public Health, and federal entities.

Marina has a proven track record in training, emergency response, policy revision, and safety onboarding. Her efforts to build and sustain a culture of safety within the research community highlight her dedication to advancing biosafety practices and standards.

Sam Lipson

Sam Lipson serves as the Sr Director of Environmental Health for the City of Cambridge within the Public Health Department.  In this capacity he has overseen the enforcement of the Cambridge Recombinant DNA Technology Ordinance since 1997.  This local statute (c. 1977) codifies the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules within the city of Cambridge, MA.  Responsibilities include administration of the Cambridge Biosafety Committee, a citizens panel with statutory authority to issue permits, and performance of all required laboratory inspections.  Mr. Lipson has also worked closely with the biotech community to present the Cambridge Biosafety Forum on 5 occasions between 2002-2023.  This 8-hour workshop has drawn from the deep pool of local biosafety talent in the Cambridge/Boston area and is now available at no cost through the Cambridge Public Health Department website.  The workshop intended to support biosafety professionals, academics, local public health officials, and community representatives interested in serving on one or more IBCs for local biotechs/institutions.

Sam has participation in the NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) a panelist during sessions on IBCs and public transparency; served on the Boston Biosafety Advisory Committee to provide guidance on the regulation of the NEIDL (BSL-4/BSL-3 national biocontainment laboratory in the South End).  Mr. Lipson has also consulted with researchers and public health officials interested in drafting and implementing local biosafety regulations in Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, Tokyo, Maryland and many smaller communities across Massachusetts.

Mr. Lipson is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) who received his undergraduate degree from University of California at Berkeley and completed his Masters work in Toxicology at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.  His biosafety training includes the 40-hour Biohazard Control course (John Hopkins), the ABSA Principles and Practices of Biosafety, 8-hour Viral Vectors workshop at the Eagleson Institute. He has chaired the Cambridge Biosafety Committee since 1998.

Brandon Linz

Brandon Linz, PhD, RBP(ABSA), is the EHS Site Lead for GSK. He holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology and spent his early career conducting high-containment infectious disease and animal model research for viral vaccines development, before transitioning into biosafety and EHS, serving as a Senior Biosafety Officer at Tuft University and Biosafety Director of Consulting at Triumvirate Environmental. He now leads biosafety, chemical safety, and environmental compliance programs at GSK's Cambridge R&D hub, with current work focused on infectious agent biosafety, animal programs, and oligonucleotide platform safety.  

Bharathi Patimalla-Dipali

Bharathi Patimalla-Dipali is an Environmental Health Analyst at the Department of Public Health with 12+ years of expertise in the Massachusetts State Sanitary Code. As a regulatory subject matter expert in Medical and Biological waste, Body art and Tattoo, and Burial and Cremations, she drives regulatory development, multi-agency strategic planning, and public health policy analysis. Bharathi bridges the gap between state oversight and institutional compliance, helping organizations navigate evolving environmental health and safety frameworks.

Thomas Swayne

As of early 2026, Thomas Swayne has served as the Director of Biological Safety with the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). Prior to this position, he drew on his background in structural and cellular biology to assist in the development and maintenance of biosafety programs throughout the Greater Boston area as a consultant with Safety Partners LLC.  In his role at the BPHC, Thomas oversees the regulation, permitting, and safety compliance of biological research laboratories across Boston, including inspections of high containment laboratories. His experience as a Medical Logistics Officer and Physical Security Officer with the U.S. Army, combined with his background in regulatory compliance, has greatly assisted him in his role as Director of Biological Safety.

Thomas Winters

A physician with over 40 years of experience and an entrepreneurial spirit, Dr. Winters co-founded OEHN in 2004. As President and Chief Medical Officer of OEHN, he provides clinical oversight of physicians and is Medical Director for clients from a wide spectrum of industries.
With a keen interest and nationally recognized expertise in research occupational health, Dr. Winters is Medical Director and consultant for multiple academic hospital and university research occupational health programs, including BSL 2 and 3 facilities.  He was instrumental in the development of a world class research occupational health program at a Boston academic institution where he continues as Occupational Health Officer, a role that includes provision of medical surveillance and exposure response services for their BSL 4 laboratory.