Sheila Grove, South End

ATTENDING

Glen Berkowitz, South End –Chair

Christopher Brayton, South End

Michael Kozu, Dorchester

Thomas Moore, Associate Provost, BU

Jack Murphy, Co-Director, NEIDL

Carla Richards – Director of Community Relations

Kevin Tuohey, Executive Director, Operations & Public Safety, BU

Approval of Minutes

Minutes from the January 29 CLC meeting were reviewed. Motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes with edits from Berkowitz. Motion passed.

Update – NIH Blue Ribbon Panel

Mooregave an overview of state and federal findings that led the NIH’s decision to create a Blue Ribbon Panel (BRP) to conduct additional risk analysis for the NEIDL. The BRP, under leadership from Dr. Elias Zerhouni at the NIH, will write a Scope of Work (SOW) for additional risk analysis that will identify the kinds of agents that should be studied and the types of release scenarios that might occur and therefore need to be studied. The SOW will be used to identify a contractor to do the actual work. Moore discussed the draft timeline for the BRP’s work and completion of additional risk analyses which starts with a kick-off meeting of the BRP mid March of 2008 and culminates on or around the last quarter of 2009. The public will have opportunity to review and comment on the report once a draft is available.

Members asked whether it was possible for research at lower biocontainment levels might take place at the NEIDL while the final decision on the BSL-4 portion of the lab is undergoing further study. Moore noted that no infectious diseases research, of any kind or at any containment level, will take place at the NEIDL until the appropriate permits are granted for the work to take place. Tuohey mentioned that the delay in opening of the NEIDL provides opportunity for additional tests of building systems and refinement of Standard Operating Procedures. Moore added that training of new recruits might take place while the facility awaits opening. CLC members might also have opportunity to take another tour at the NEIDL.

Berkowitz asked for more information on who pays for the costs of recruiting and hiring researchers that come to the NEIDL but then are unable to work because the opening of the building has been delayed. Moore agreed to look into this and provide and update when that information is available.

Update New Recruits

Murphy gave a brief overview of four new recruits at the NEIDL. These are;Drs. Thomas and Joan Geisbert, Dr. Elke Mühlberger and Horácio Frydman, Ph.D. More information on new recruits is available on the NEIDL website at

CLC Membership Terms

Murphy provided an overview of the recruitment and selection process for the CLC which involves advertising in local papers and through e-mail and the NEIDL website, open self-nomination, 2 year staggered terms and appointment by either the CEO at Boston Medical Center or he Provost at the Medical Campus. Grove, Brayton and Berkowitz are scheduled to roll-off in May 2008 and will need to reapply during the nomination period if they are interested in remaining on the CLC.

Kozu stressed the importance of having continuity and overlap on the CLC and made motion to request that existing members continue to serve until the new board members are seated. Motion was seconded and passed.

The CLC revisited discussion of expansion of membership size. Murphy mentioned that CLC is part of the governance structure under the NEIDL Institute’s Charter. In order to expand group size, the CLC has to submit a proposal and rationale to the Executive Committee at the NEIDL Institute. Kozu made motion to expand CLC group size by 2. Motion was seconded and approved to expand CLC group size by two and for the CLC to follow-up with the necessary steps for this to occur.

Murphy announced that due to work constraints he finds it necessary to step down as liaison to the CLC. A decision on who will serve the membership in his stead has not been reached at this point.

10:30 a.m. Meeting Adjourned.