Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 28th November 2024 Issue no. 1140
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Dr Deborah Birx to Keynote inaugural GBAC Symposium in Chicago
The Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a Division of ISSA, has secured Dr Deborah Birx, world-renowned medical physician, infectious disease expert and diplomat, as keynote speaker at the GBAC Symposium on Air Considerations, August 16th-17th, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
The inaugural GBAC Symposium will bring together scientists and industry thought leaders to share innovations and best practices for improving indoor air quality in non-healthcare settings.
"The Symposium is our next step in driving innovation and advancement to make our world safer," says GBAC senior director Michael Diamond. "This event will bring together environmental safety and infectious disease experts such as Dr Birx and organisations to discuss real solutions for public health concerns."
Dr Birx is an internationally admired medical physician and expert on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases who served as a special representative for global health diplomacy. Most recently, she served on the White House Coronavirus Task Force from March 2020 to January 2021. Her three-decade-long career has focused on HIV/AIDS immunology, vaccine research and global health.
As the US global AIDS coordinator for US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, she oversaw the implementation of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history. She also oversaw US government engagement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Serving as the US special representative for global health diplomacy, she aligned the US government's diplomacy with foreign assistance programs that address global health challenges and accelerate progress toward achieving an AIDS-free generation; ending preventable child and maternal deaths; and preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease threats.
The event will also include a presentation from Dr John McKeon, medical entrepreneur and CEO of Allergy Standards Ltd (ASL), an international standards and certification body. As the founder of ASL, Dr McKeon leads a portfolio of patent and trademark applications, licensing agreements and equity investments. In addition to involvement in several successful healthcare-related ventures, he is an adjunct professor in the Centre for Practice and Healthcare Innovation and a decorated doctor and expert in life sciences, biotechnology, and healthcare business.
The GBAC Symposium speaker lineup also features Poppy Co-CEO Elizabeth (EC) Caley; environmental and architectural engineering expert Mark Hernandez, Ph.D; environmental infection prevention expert John LaRochelle; infectious disease scientist John Lowe, Ph.D; biorisk expert Dr Paul Meecha; GBAC executive director Patricia Olinger, and Biorisk International executive director Stefan Wagener, Ph.D. These thought leaders will share insights and strategies for improving indoor air quality in schools, offices, restaurants, gyms, and other non-healthcare settings during a pandemic and beyond.
ISSA members can register for the GBAC Symposium for US$250, while the non-member price is $350.
26th May 2022