Workshop chairs for the 10th ISBGMO (in alphabetical order)

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Session Chairs

Tony Conner Workshop 3 Chair: Novel Approached to Risk Assessment	Janet Gough Workshop 2 Co-Chair: Regulator’s Forum
Tony Conner works at the forefront of integrating biotechnology and genomics into breeding programmes of arable and vegetable crops. The main emphasis of his work is on the genetic enhancement of plants, especially potato, using gene transfer vectors. Since 1988 his research has involved fi eld evaluations of transgenic crops, research that has been closely coupled with biosafety evaluations. He has participated in several consultations on the environmental risk assessment and food safety evaluation of transgenic crops for international agencies such as FAO, WHO, OECD and ANZFA. Tony is a senior scientist at Crop & Food Research and a Professorial Fellow at Lincoln University where he supervises postgraduate research in plant biotechnology.	Janet Gough has been instrumental in bringing to fruition the revised Australian/New Zealand Risk Management Standard, which now underpins development of the ISO Standard. She has applied the Standard in a rigorous, pragmatic manner to risk-based decision-making at the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA), New Zealand. Janet is Principal Analyst at ERMA with expertise in mathematics, quantitative economics, resource management and systems analysis, and has published extensively on risk analysis.
Libby Harrison Co-chair: Public Forum and Workshop 2 Regulator’s Forum	Paul Keese Workshop 2 Co-Chair: Regulator’s Forum
Libby Harrison brings a wealth of international scientifi c and regulatory experience to riskbased regulation of GMOs, new organisms and chemicals. Her training as an entomologist and ecologist has resulted in valuable contributions to environmental impacts research, as well as, pesticide product development and regulation. Libby is the General Manager for the New Organisms Group at the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA), New Zealand, and follows her work on formulating regulatory policy for the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment.	Paul Keese has enjoyed a long career at the leading edge of plant virology and novel plant transgenic research, including the fi rst release of a GM plant into the Australian environment. He has also promoted the application of emerging technologies and biosafety-related issues in developing countries. Paul is principal science adviser to the Offi ce of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), Australia, with responsibilities to develop and apply best practice risk analysis for the regulation of GMOs.
Patrick Rüdelsheim Co-Chair of Public Forum	Hector Quemada Workshop 1 Chair: Confinement Measures for Field Experiments
Patrick Rüdelsheim has played a pivotal role in biosafety research and regulation of GM crop plants. In 1996 he was appointed Global Head of Biotechnology Regulatory Affairs for AgrEvo, Aventis CropScience and eventually Bayer CropScience. In 2003 he founded Perseus BVBA for biosafety and regulatory management services. Patrick serves on the Executive of ISBR and is currently president elect of the Society.	Hector Quemada brings over twenty years of experience in the biotechnology and seed industry. He has consulted on several major international biotechnology initiatives funded by USAID, Gates Foundation and others. As founder and principal consultant for Crop Technology Consulting, Hector has made many invaluable contributions to the development of biosafety assessment, testing guidelines and regulatory frameworks for several national biotechnology programs in Asia and Africa.
Dr. Kristina Sinemus, CEO Workshop 4 Chair: Risk Communication
Kristina Sinemus is a major proponent and leader for effective communication strategies in biotechnology and GMO biosafety issues. She is founder and CEO of Genius, a biotech scientifi c and communication consultancy fi rm. Kristina holds various part-time lectureships on Bioethics and Genetic Engineering and is very active in the fi eld of biosafety research where she manages different European projects.