Ramoz to lead University’s biosafety program

Gina Ramoz recently joined UNC Charlotte as biosafety director in the Office of Research and Economic Development.

With nearly 30 years of scientific experience working in clinical, research and academic laboratories, Ramoz will manage the biosafety program for the University’s rapidly growing and evolving research and academic environment.

The biosafety program exists to train, educate and assist UNC Charlotte’s academic and non-academic researchers in all matters concerning biosafety. In her role as director, Ramoz will develop and implement training, resource materials and safety protocols to comply with local, state and national biosafety standards. In addition, she will provide expert advice to the campus’ research community, academic departments and facilities management personnel on maintaining safe laboratories and physical assets with regard to the use/storage of biological hazards.

Prior to UNC Charlotte, Ramoz was the biosafety officer for the University of Utah’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety. She was responsible for the safe conduct of biological research in approximately 1,350 research labs. Before that, she was the lab manager for the University of Utah’s Department of Pharmacological Toxicology, where she managed all aspects of a multimillion dollar research program; she also conducted research, designed experiments and analyzed data for publication in scientific journals.

She received an M.B.A., with an emphasis in health care administration and NCA clinical laboratory specialist, from the University of Utah, and she is a member of the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA); the American Society for Microbiologists (ASM); and the Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Association (CSHEMA).

Ramoz will work closely with the University’s Office of Research Compliance, the Environmental Health and Safety Office and the Institutional Biosafety Committee, as well as with other campus offices on biosafety initiatives as needed.