August 30, 2016 SPADA Meeting Book

Shashi Sharma, Ph.D.

SPADA Botulinum neurotoxin A Chair

Dr. Sharma received Ph.D. in Microbiology from University of Bhopal, Bhopal India. After Ph.D., he

joined Lupin Biotechnology as a Scientist where he worked on development monoclonal antibodies and

immunodiagnostics of HIV, Typhoid and Syphilis. He did posdoc from Department of Biochemistry,

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he worked on the structure and function of Clostridium

botulinum neurotoxin and its associated proteins. Dr. Sharma joined FDA/ CFSAN, in May 2002. His

research focuses on the development and validation of an effective and sensitive detection system for

Clostridium botulinum in foods. He has over 22 years of experience in C. botulinum research and

published several research papers in peer reviewed journals and holds an US patent on C. botulinum

toxin associated proteins.

Dr. Victoria Olson Microbiologist United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CHAIR, SPADA VARIOLA WORKING GROUP

Victoria Olson obtained her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2001.

Her dissertation focused on understanding transcriptional regulation by the baculovirus Autographa

californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus immediate early protein (IE1). Dr. Olson then joined the

Poxvirus Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science

and Education postdoctoral fellow in 2002. Her postdoctoral research focused on understanding how

Orthopoxviruses interact with their hosts. While studying Orthopoxviruses , Dr. Olson completed training

and certification for work at multiple biosafety levels, including work with variola virus within the

Biosafety level 4 laboratories. In 2008, Dr. Olson became lead of the Virus-Host Molecular Interactions

Unit within the Poxvirus Team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She supervises 4

masters-level researchers, 1 post-doctorate, 1 veterinarian, and 1 technician. The Virus-Host Molecular

Interactions Unit focuses on research aimed at understanding how Orthopoxviruses interact with their

hosts and what measures are effective at abrogating disease progression and mitigating morbidity.

Since 2005, Dr. Olson has been closely involved in the validation of real-time PCR diagnostic assays for

use in clinical settings, with particular focus on obtaining regulatory approvals. During her 12 years

within the Poxvirus Team, she has contributed to some 39 peer-reviewed publications.