The United States has two more weapons in the fight against bioterrorism - Ms. Angela S. Ragan and CDR Thomas Arminio, USPHS.
Arminio and Ragan recently graduated the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The two also passed the American Society for Microbiology’s rigorous, two-day Certified Biosafety Professional exam thus earning the prestigious CBSP credential. “I think it’s an excellent program for someone going into a high containment lab with the training, classes, mentorship and various other aspects helping to support that mission. The two-year fellowship program trains you to manage and oversee researchers working in the high containment labs to ensure that that they are doing their job safely, not endangering themselves, the environment or others,”” commented Ragan. “It’s also great for networking. I worked with and was associated with some of the leaders in the biosafety field." she added.
Upon earning her CBSP, Ms. Ragan was hired by NIH Department of Occupational Safety and Health Branch Chief Deborah E. Wilson, DrPH, CBSP, CAPT USPHS to serve as a biosafety officer at the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Integrated Research Facility (NIAID IRF) in Frederick, MD. Ms. Ragan begins her assignment during the current construction phase, focusing on the safety and health aspect of bringing the NIAID IRF online in 2009.
Fellow NBBTP graduate and CBSP, CDR Arminio, earned a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, an RN degree from the College of St. Catherine, and a Bachelor of Art in Biology from Vassar College. Before joining the NBBTP, CDR Arminio was assigned to the Indian Health Service, Office of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Santa Fe Indian Hospital where he held the position of Safety and Infection Control Manager. Areas of interest in biosafety include applying clinical nursing skills to occupational health and emergency medical management in high containment environments, syndromic surveillance of biological threats and policy development in biosurety issues, with emphasis in international settings. CDR Arminio enjoys backpacking, bicycling and the culinary arts.
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L to R: NBBTP graduate CDR Thomas Arminio, USPHS, CBSP;
NBBTP Executive Director Murray L. Cohen, PhD, MPH, CIH and
NBBTP graduate Angela Ragan, CBSP
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Celebrating Arminio and Ragan’s accomplishments are from L to R:
NBBTP Executive Director Murray L. Cohen, PhD, MPH, CIH; NBBTP Scientific Advisory Board members Michael Blayney, PhD; Debra Hunt, DrPH, RBP, CBSP; Jim Welch; NBBTP graduates CDR Thomas Arminio, USPHS, CBSP and Angela Ragan, CBSP; NBBTP Scientific Advisory Board members Robert Ellis, PhD and Susan Garges, PhD; NIH NBBTP Program Director Cptn Debbie Wilson, DrPH, CBSP and Scientific Advisory Board member Emmett Barkley, PhD.
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