Leila Macedo

Leila Macedo
Founder member
International Federation of Biosafety Associations-IFBA, Brazil

Biography

Leila dos Santos Macedo is bachelor in Chemistry at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro since 1974. She has received the Master and Doctor Degrees in Microbiology and Immunology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro on 1979 and 1983 respectively, working on surface antigens of microorganisms. She was admitted as head of the quality control department of vaccines at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation- Fiocruz in 1982, being in charge of the National Program of Immunization at the Ministry of Health since that time till 86 when has been invited to lead the Strategic Planning Department at the National Institute for Quality Control in Health at Fiocruz where she worked till 1990. She has done several inspections and auditing visits at health vaccine facilities in Brazil during the period of 1983-1986. She has taken quality control and biosafety courses abroad during the years 83-86 as a Pan-American Health Organization adviser. She has introduced Biosafety programs at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation at that time and has established the Biosafety Nucleus in 1993.She was the Quality Director at the Brazilian Surveillance Agency in the Ministry of Health, responsible for quality assessment of biological products, blood products, disinfectants, cosmetics and drugs, among other health devices from 1992-1993. She has participated in several courses on risk assessment and risk management on genetically modified organism and bio risk management in Latin American countries working with close cooperation with the International Center for Genetically Engineering and Biotechnology in Italy, Food and Agriculture Organization-FAO and World Health Organization- WHO, since 1994 till now. She had several capacity building projects on Biosafety and Biosecurity supported by the Brazilian Funding Agencies and by the Biosecurity Engagement Program from the State Department among other international agencies. She has advised the parliament of Brazil in the discussion of the Brazilian Biosafety Framework and was leaded to be the representative of the Ministry of Health in the Brazilian Biosafety Committee from 1995 till 1999. She was the chairperson of the National Biosafety Committee from 1998-2000. She represented Brazil in several international agreements meetings such as the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol, in the Codex Alimentarius on food derived from biotechnology and in the BTWC meetings at that time. She was member of the Scientific Committee of the United Nations University andof the Latin American Biotechnology Network from 2003-2206. She has been temporary technical adviser at World Health Organization on Biosafety and Biosecurity issues since 1990. She has done several evaluation visits as adviser to Latin American countries and the Caribbean (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Paraguay, and Granada Island among others). She served as adviser to many countries to the establishment of regulatory framework on Biosafety of genetically modified organisms including China, Thailand, Singapore, Egypt, Emirates among others besides to the Latin American countries. She has presented many scientific papers in several International Biosafety and Biosecurity meetings coordinated by the American Biological Safety Association, the European Biosafety Association, and the International Council of Life Sciences among others.She was founder member of the International Federation of Biosafety Association and was at its board of Director since it was named International Biosafety Working Group in 2002.She has published more than 120 scientific papers, books and book’s chapters on her field of work. She has founded the Brazilian Biosafety Association- ANBio in 1999 and she has been its President from that date till now.