FREE FOR MEMBERS!

Description: The Public Health Agency of Canada regulates laboratories across the country working with hazardous pathogens and toxins. The Agency administers and enforces the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act and Regulations, overseeing biosafety and biosecurity on a national level. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought biosafety to the forefront, particularly in medical diagnostic facilities. In this webinar, the Public Health Agency of Canada will provide an overview of its regulatory authorities and their application to medical laboratories. In addition, a summary of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen risk assessment will be presented, delving into the characteristics of the virus such as pathogenicity, communicability, and the availability of preventative and therapeutic treatments. Finally, biosafety requirements and recommendations for diagnostic facilities will be discussed.

Start date: Upon registration

Completion: Up to 52 weeks

At the end of this webinar you will be able to:

• Understand the Public Health Agency of Canada’s regulatory oversight of laboratories in Canada
• Identify biosafety risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2
• Outline biosafety recommendations for diagnostic activities in a medical laboratory setting

Speakers: Brigitte Cadieux, PhD & Morgan Kafenzakis

Brigitte and Morgan both work in the Centre for Biosecurity at the Public Health Agency of Canada. Brigitte holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology.  She worked at the Centre for Biosecurity in 2005-2006 and returned in 2017.  She manages the Biosafety Risk Assessment program responsible for conducting pathogen risk assessments, updating the ePATHogen database, and developing Pathogen Safety Data Sheets. With an academic background in biochemistry and chemical engineering, Morgan began her career in biosafety over 10 years ago. She has contributed extensively to the development and implementation of Canada’s biosafety oversight regime under the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act and Regulations. She currently manages the program responsible for the Canadian Biosafety Standard and Handbook, as well as a suite of subject specific Canadian Biosafety Guidelines.

Recorded: October 27, 2021

PEP hours: 1.0

CPS credits: 0

*Note: PEP hours and/or CPS credits will only be awarded upon successful completion of the quiz.