# About Us

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is dedicated to protecting the health and safety of everyone at UNMC who works with biohazardous agents. Some of our major responsibilities include:

- Reviewing and approving recombinant DNA research projects to ensure compliance with NIH guidelines
- Notifying principal investigators of the results of our reviews and approvals
- Drafting campus biosafety policies and procedures, including the creation of emergency plans in the case of accidental spills and personnel contamination
- Reporting any problems, violations, accidents or illnesses to the appropriate offices

For further details about the IBC's roles and responsibilities, refer to [Section IV-B-2-b of the NIH Guidelines](https://osp.od.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/NIH_Guidelines.htm#_Toc3457056).

## Chairs & Administrators

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" id="bkmrk-joellyn-mcmillan%2C-ph" style="width: 100%; height: 648.939px; border-collapse: collapse; border-width: 0px; border-spacing: 4px;"><tbody><tr style="height: 162.188px;"><td style="height: 162.188px; border-width: 0px;" valign="top" width="25%">![mcmillan_headshot_cropped.jpg](https://guides.unmc.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2024-12/KMoBRiDKClHvhmlR-mcmillan-headshot-cropped.jpg)</td><td style="height: 162.188px; border-width: 0px;" valign="top">**JoEllyn McMillan, PhD**  
Chair, Institutional Biosafety Committee  
Associate Professor, Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience  
402-559-3074 | [Email](mailto:jmmcmillan@unmc.edu)  
[Biography](https://www.unmc.edu/pharmacology/faculty/mcmillan-j.html)</td></tr><tr style="height: 167.188px;"><td style="height: 167.188px; border-width: 0px;" valign="top" width="25%">![Iwen_Pete_125x150.jpg](https://guides.unmc.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2024-12/6928Pd2CdpWpCVcD-iwen-pete-125x150.jpg)</td><td style="height: 167.188px; border-width: 0px;" valign="top">**Peter C. Iwen, PhD**  
Biosafety Officer, Institutional Biosafety Committee  
Professor, College of Medicine  
Director, Nebraska Public Health Laboratory  
402-559-7774 | [Email](mailto:piwen@unmc.edu)  
[Biography](http://www.unmc.edu/pathology/faculty/bios/iwen.html)</td></tr><tr style="height: 152.375px;"><td style="width: 190px; height: 152.375px; border-width: 0px;" valign="top">![hollinger_jackie.png](https://guides.unmc.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2024-12/DXbhiNuLUbQ1eghG-hollinger-jackie.png)</td><td style="width: 591px; height: 152.375px; border-width: 0px;" valign="top">**Jackie Hollinger, MPH** Administrator II  
402-836-9403  
[Email](mailto:jhollinger@unmc.edu)

</td></tr><tr style="height: 167.188px;"><td style="width: 190px; height: 167.188px; border-width: 0px;" valign="top">![anderson-d.jpg](https://guides.unmc.edu/uploads/images/gallery/2024-12/dZPXStP1sMdkCSak-anderson-d.jpg)</td><td style="width: 591px; height: 167.188px; border-width: 0px;" valign="top">**Deron Anderson, MS** Back-Up Administrator  
402-559-5845  
[Email](mailto:deron.anderson@unmc.edu)</td></tr></tbody></table>

## What is Biosafety?

Biosafety is a set of principles and practices, either studied or applied, that are intended to address the safe handling and containment of infectious microorganisms and hazardous biological materials.

Safe use of biological and biohazardous materials involves:

- Appropriate facilities and equipment (containment)
- Adequate training and hazard awareness
- Following proper laboratory practices as determined by risk assessment
- Complying with Institutional, federal, state, and local regulations

## UNMC Biosafety Program

The UNMC [Department of Environmental Health &amp; Safety (EHS)](https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/index.html) oversees the [Biosafety Program](https://www.unmc.edu/ehs/biosafety/index.html), which:

- Seeks to protect workers, students, the community, and the environment from potential exposures to biohazardous materials.
- Provides biosafety guidance for research, clinical, and teaching activities at UNMC.
- Provides guidance and resources for special topics: safe handling practices, waste disposal, decontamination, and more.
- Oversees the development and implementation of compliance trainings.
- Assists Principal Investigators (PIs) with IBC requirements.
- Containment facility design recommendations and review
- Laboratory inspections and in person lab or project specific trainings