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Community Liaison Committee (CLC)
National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL)
Boston University Medical Center (BUMC)
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MEETING NOTES
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
9:00 am. * Evans Seminar Room
Attending
Glen Berkowitz, Christopher Brayton, Sandra Silver, Joan Geisbert (Associate Director, NEIDL),
Horatio Frydman (Associate Director, Vector Transmitted Infectious Disease Core, NEIDL),
Rebecca Robich (Post Doctorate Fellow, Frydman Lab), Kevin Tuohey (BUMC Executive
Director of Operations & Public Safety), Carla Richards (BUMC Director, of Community
Relations)
Research & Training
Dr. Frydman introduced his assistant, Rebecca Robich, and gave an overview of his
background and current work. Frydman currently works in a BSL-2 laboratory housed on the BU
Charles River Campus and serves as Associate Director for the Vector Transmitted Infectious
Disease Core (BSL-3) at the NEIDL.
Frydman stated that the Vector Transmitted Infectious Disease Core is dedicated to the study of
how vectors (e.g., mosquitoes, ticks) are responsible for the transmission of pathogens in
humans. He added that mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths than any other
living creature. In fact, nearly half of the world’s population is infected with at least one Vector
Transmitted Infectious Disease. This problem is likely to get bigger due to aggravating factors
such as increasing global travel and climate change.
Frydman stated that the goals for the Vector Transmitted Infectious Disease Core are:
1. Develop novel strategies to interrupt pathogen transmission at the vector level:
 Eliminate vector and/or pathogen, and
 Eliminate vector competence for pathogen transmission.
2. Natural infection and transmission studies
3. Vector competence experiments to determine what insects are capable of transmitting
the microorganism
Berkowitz asked about the advantages of conducting Vector Transmitted Infectious Disease
work at the NEIDL versus conducting it in his existing lab on the Charles River Campus or at
some other location and wondered whether another facility could be constructed for him to do
his work. Frydman noted that his current lab does not have the infrastructure to conduct
research at a higher containment level and the NEIDL offers additional opportunities in terms of
physical and intellectual collaboration with some of the world’s most renowned scientists.
Robich added that, to her knowledge, there is only one other BSL-3 laboratory with vector
containment capabilities in the Boston area. Silver mentioned that even if there are Vector
Transmitted Infectious Disease laboratories, they likely have existing work and projects
associated with them. Tuohey added that while another facility could possibly be retrofitted to
meet the needs of Frydman’s work, the cost would be prohibitive and the infrastructure may not
be available at that location to support it.
Berkowitz asked for clarification on potential interaction between Frydman’s work and the work
at the BSL-4 in the NEIDL. Frydman stated that in terms of mosquitoes, there are currently no
known diseases transmitted that require BSL-4 containment. However, in the future mosquitoes
could transmit something that requires BSL-4 containment and this would then become a very
important public health issue. In terms of ticks, there are diseases transmitted currently that
require BSL-4 containment so there might be opportunities for collaboration with researches like
Mark Klempner that are working in this area.
Operations
Tuohey mentioned that BUMC is in the process of meeting with the City’s Inspectional Services
Department to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and that BUMC hopes to conduct simulated
training exercises and extensive systems testing in the NEIDL. No research would take place
during this period of time. Berkowitz inquired why a Certificate of Occupancy was needed for the
entire building when the training facility is located on the first floor and Tuohey noted that the
Certificate of Occupancy would allow for exercises throughout the NEIDL to test responses in
real time situations (e.g., fire at lab, heart attack victim).
Berkowitz inquired why BUMC had not applied for a permit to open and operate the BSL-2 and
BSL-3 portions of the NEIDL and Tuohey stated that the permits required for laboratory
operations do not distinguish between BSL-2, BSL-3 or BSL-4 work being conducted at the
NEIDL and that any such permits will be addressed once all other issues related to performing
research at the NEIDL are addressed.
Regulatory Affairs
Berkowitz debriefed the group on the July 16, 2008 NIH Blue Ribbon Panel meeting at NIH in
Bethesda where he and four other community members presented. Berkowitz thought the
meeting was a good experience and gave the Blue Ribbon Panel a good sense of the
challenges facing Boston. Silver disagreed and stated she felt that the community
representation at the Blue Ribbon Panel meeting was not an accurate representation of
community sentiment because it was skewed in opposition to the lab.
Tuohey noted that the next steps in the Blue Ribbon Panel process may include an additional
public meeting in Boston. Silver said that in the past, public meetings of that nature have not
been productive and at times have been counter productive. Silver stated that in her opinion the
CLC meetings have provided the best opportunity for learning and discussion about the NEIDL.
11:00 a.m. Meeting adjourned
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