Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), a reporting unit of the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), recognized three individuals and six laboratories as part of its annual Lab Safety Rewards and Recognition program.
The program began in 2020 to recognize principal investigators, laboratory staff, students, and laboratory teams who prioritize research safety in their work. Nominations for the award are accepted from the campus community and from EHS’s Safety Advisory Team, which evaluates all laboratories and associated staff. The Laboratory Safety Committee determines the winners.
“We are proud to recognize the groups and individuals who have made extra effort to support research safety on campus,” said Haley Sinn, EHS director. “Even small actions can have a large impact on ensuring good conditions and compliance.”
Excellence in Safety Award – Individual Recognition
Stephon Barry, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS)
Stephon Barry functionally oversaw this year’s safety audit for the lab of Professor John Prineas. “Stephon had well-prepared documentation and knew exactly what was still missing, stated specifically what was missing upfront, and knew exactly when he would have the opportunity to get it resolved (and then did get it resolved),” said Rachelle Justice, EHS safety compliance specialist. “Everything that could be fixed immediately during the walkthrough he did fix immediately, without needing prompting.”
Miles Flamme-Wiese, Research Specialist, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine (CCOM)
Flamme-Wiese started working in Professor Robert Mullins’s lab as an undergraduate biomedical engineering student in 2010, transitioning to research staff in 2012 and becoming the lab manager in 2022. “Miles is one of the most proactive lab managers I have,” said John Silka, chemical safety specialist. In addition to personally training new lab members, Flamme-Wiese has printed custom safety labels for waste disposal and even worked with facilities management to have a door installed to provide a separate breakroom space, eliminating issues related to food in the lab.
Caitlyn Gries, Research Assistant, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CCOM
Gries has served as lab manager since Kalpaj Parekh, professor and chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, opened his lab in 2022. In this role she manages several staff members and maintains communications with collaborating labs on campus. Caitlyn thoroughly prepares for audits, quickly raises questions whenever the lab begins new work or procedures, and takes swift action to resolve safety issues in the lab. “While Caitlyn is good at keeping the lab compliant, she always seems to care about staff safety as her first priority,” said Sarah Hogren, former biosafety coordinator for EHS.
Research Laboratory Excellence in Safety Award
The teams receiving the Research Laboratory Excellence in Safety Award are:
- Weiner Lab, led by George Weiner, C.E. Block Chair of Cancer Research, Department of Internal Medicine, CCOM (also recognized as top laboratory team of 2024)
- Gillan Lab, led by Edward Gillan, Professor, Department of Chemistry, CLAS
- High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Facility, led by Lynn Teesch, Facility Director, OVPR
- Issuree Lab, led by Priya Issuree, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine-Infectious Diseases, CCOM
- Stone Lab, led by Betsy Stone, Professor, Department of Chemistry, CLAS
- Wu Lab, led by Li Wu, Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, CCOM