Dr. J. Michael Miller, associate director for science with the National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne and Enteric Diseases, will be the guest speaker at the Current Issues in Biosafety and Laboratory Acquired Infections Symposium on Friday, Oct. 17, in Howard Auditorium at Louisiana Tech.

The event will begin at 8 a.m. with morning sessions on general biosafety in teaching, research and service laboratories, and laboratory-acquired infections, followed by an afternoon tour of the Institute for Micromanufacturing and a Q & A session.

“We are indeed fortunate to have Dr. Miller, a native of Winn Parish, as the featured speaker for this program,” says Dr. Ed Griswold, Louisiana Tech’s Safety Risk Agency manager.

Miller received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center. He is also a consultant and Clinical Microbiology Specialist for Microbiology Technical Services, and a Fellow and member of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Griswold says that biotechnology continues to play an ever-increasing role in our day-to-day lives, with impacts ranging from food production to providing alternative energy sources to amazing advancements in medicine.

“Our colleges, universities and medical laboratories have been at the forefront in the development and utilization of these technologies,” he says.

Admission to this symposium is free and no pre-registration is required. Continuing education credits are available and will be awarded through the Louisiana State Society of Clinical Laboratory Science.

The symposium is hosted by Louisiana Tech’s Biosafety and Radioisotope Institutional Review Committee, Office of Research and Development, Office of Environmental Health and Safety, and Medical Technology program.

For more information, please contact Dr. Ed Griswold in the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 257-2120.

Written by Dave Guerin