Compliance with the NIH Guidelines is a requirement for any institution that conducts rsNA activities and receives NIH funding.
Per Section IV-B-2-a of the Guidelines, an institution must maintain an IBC that comprises of no fewer than five members, at least two of which shall not be affiliated with the institution (apart from their membership on the IBC). Committee members are selected to ensure that collectively, the IBC has the necessary expertise in rsNA technology to assess the safety of rsNA activities and to identify potential risks associated with projects.
The UConn IBC consists of University faculty, staff, and community representatives. Each individual member contributes to the professional competency necessary to review specific research and teaching activities. The UConn IBC members represent a broad range of disciplines and experience in their respective fields.
The fully convened IBC meetings take place approximately every six weeks, and is made up of the following members:
IBC Chair: Mary Anne Amalaradjou, PhD, DVM Associate Professor, Animal Science
IBC Vice Chair: Steven Szczepanek, PhD Associate Professor, Pathobiology
James Brennan, MS Administrative Program Manager (Facility Operations & Technical Training), Animal Care Services
David Cavallaro, MS, CBSP (voting ex officio) Institutional Biosafety Officer, Environmental Health & Safety
Brent Lewchik, MS, CHMM (ex officio) Director, Environmental Health & Safety
Bobbie Macierowski, MS Non-Affiliated Community Member, Biosafety Outreach Officer / State Training Coordinator / Microbiologist 2, Connecticut Department of Public Health
Michele Maltz-Matyschsyk Assistant Professor-in-Residence, Molecular and Cell Biology
Robert Miller, MPH, RS Non-Affiliated Community Member, Director of Health, Eastern Highlands Health District
Karen Moré, MS (ex officio) Director of Research Compliance – Animal Research & Safety
Jessica Rouge, PhD Associate Professor, Chemistry
Curtis Schondelmeyer, DVM, CPIA, DACLAM (voting ex officio) Director and Attending Veterinarian, Animal Care Services
Ad-Hoc Plant Expert Consultant: Yaowu Yuan, PhD Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology