Wesley Bland

What is your position at UNC-Chapel Hill, and how long have you been associated with the University?

I am a Biosafety Specialist in the Biosafety Department of EHS. I have been at UNC Chapel Hill for 1.5 years so far.

How did you initiate your career in this field, or what led you to your current position?

I was finishing my doctorate in Microbiology and looking for alternatives to the standard Post-Doctoral Fellowship route as I did not think that was a good fit for me. Another student in my department mentioned that a profession in Biosafety may fit my skillset and strengths better. After researching biosafety careers, I came to the conclusion that this was a far better fit for me than benchwork.

Which sectors of the University does your role impact, and in what ways does it contribute to those areas of work?

My position impacts any lab on campus that works with biohazards. I help to inspect these locations and make sure that they are safe. One of my major roles is in administration work to support the high containment labs on campus. I assist the labs in maintaining compliance with CDC and NIH regulations to ensure that they can continue to work safely and effectively in these spaces.

Describe what you love most about your job.

I love the outreach aspect of my position. In my position, I often give trainings and orientations on biosafety or lab safety in general. I enjoy teaching others and giving others the tools to be safer in lab environments. The most interesting aspect of my job has been during inspections. While no one wants to see inspectors, I enjoy often talking science with the lab and love to learn about what they are working on.

What advice do you have for those interested in entering a career in your line of work?

I would recommend that they look into biosafety/biosecurity and what they entail. I know from my own lab experience that certain areas can be under emphasized when working at the bench. The major hurdle in starting at UNC was recognizing past deficiencies in training and learning better. The sooner you can start to understand these concepts and implement them, the better you will be.