Feb 28, 2019 | MABioN Webinar – Safety Games: The hunt for program awareness and buy-in

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MABioN is proud to offer a webinar discussing

Safety Games: The hunt for program awareness and buy-in

In October 2018, the Office of Research Safety (ORS) at the University of Chicago conducted a safety-oriented, team-based scavenger hunt, in part to promote National Biosafety Month. By gamifying this endeavor, we hoped to achieve the following goals: 1) Build awareness of ORS roles and responsibilities; 2) Promote ORS functions; 3) Provide fun and memorable education; and 4) Generate good-will and increase buy-in from researchers. It is important to acknowledge that the diverse scientific endeavors at a research university extend beyond the life sciences as the traditional disciplines of biological, physical, radiological, material, and social sciences are becoming increasingly integrated. This resulted in an opportunity, but also a challenge when designing the scavenger hunt. In brief, using an online app we designed multiple “challenges”. Some were aimed at encouraging participants to consider how to safely pursue their scientific endeavors, while others reinforced safety policies, procedures, and practices across research safety training modules. Additionally, collaboration and creativity were taken into consideration when awarding points. During the hunt, the software allowed live streaming of photos and videos encouraging mutual learning and fostering competition. We will share with the audience highlights of the award ceremony, survey results, and lessons learned as we reflect on the goals of this exercise.

Presented by: Allen Helm and Hsiang-Ming (Anthony) Wang

Allen Helm is a Senior Biosafety Officer and an Alternate Responsible Officials at the University of Chicago (UC). He holds a BA in Biology from the University of Louisville, a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Illinois-Urbana, and was a postdoctoral fellow in Microbiology-Immunology at Northwestern University. He entered the field of Biosafety in 2009 when he trained in a postdoctoral biosafety fellowship at the UC administered by the Microbiology Department and funded by NIAID. He is a Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) and a Certified Biosafety Professional (CBSP) with ABSA International. He serves on two Institutional Biosafety Committees at UC. He serves on multiple committees with ABSA International and is a member of the Executive Council with the Midwest Area Biosafety Network (MABioN).

Hsiang-Ming (Anthony) Wang is currently serving as the Assistant Director for Office of Research Safety (ORS), Senior Biosafety Officer at the University of Chicago, and one of the Alternate Responsible Officials for Howard T. Ricketts high containment laboratory. Before joining UChicago, he spent 9 years at The Ohio State University- 2 years as Post-doc researcher and 7 years as BSL3 operations manager and Research operations manager for Center for Microbial Interface Biology (CMIB). Anthony holds a BS in Medical Technology from National Taiwan University, PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from University of Vermont (study focused on stress-induced signal transduction), and MBA degree from Fisher College of Business. In addition to being an ABSA accredited Certified Biosafety Professional (CBSP), Anthony is a member of CBSP Exam Development Committee. He serves as a member of numerous Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) including UChicago and Argonne National Laboratories. Among his many duties, Anthony served as a lead trainer for the Duke Infectious Disease Response Training Consortium funded by NIEHS for the past 3 years. He is currently the Communication Director with the Midwest Area Biosafety Network (MABioN).