PROGRAM DIRECTOR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

JUNIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST

JUNIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST

JUNIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST

SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

PROJECT MANAGER

Caryl Griffin is the President of the Elizabeth R Griffin Foundation. The ERGF was established in 1999 in response to the death of her daughter, Beth, in 1997, due to a laboratory acquired infection, Macacine Herpesvirus1, following an ocular exposure. Rev. Griffin is an ordained Elder in the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church appointed to the Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation, working in the field of Global Health Security, seeking to bring experts from multiple disciplines and multilateral perspectives together to forge partnerships and innovative solutions, addressing some of the world’s most pressing infectious disease dilemmas as well as biological safety and security issues. Much of Rev. Griffin’s work outside the US has been in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia in the areas of Public Health, Occupational Health, and Biosafety/Biosecurity. She currently serves on the advisory board of CRDF Global.

Prior to ordination, Rev. Griffin practiced nursing for 35 years, in hospitals, clinics, public health, and hospital administration. She created a national healthcare consulting business for doctors’ offices and hospitals, consulting across the U.S., helping develop more effective methods and processes of caring for patients. She has created and led national leadership/ management workshops and retreats for hospitals and institutions in the US and abroad. Previous work in Ministry includes serving as a Pastor at First Broad Street UMC in Kingsport, TN, and Director of Wesley Leadership Institute developing continuing education for 700 pastors in the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church. In 1983, Rev. Griffin proposed and developed the ongoing Leadership Kingsport Program for the development of effective community leaders. Her special interests are in the areas of global health, spiritual development, biosafety and security, systems development, Leadership, as well as life and stress management. She has published articles in the areas of biosafety, play therapy for children, and public health nursing.

Caryl received a B.S. in Nursing from University of Tennessee College of Nursing in Memphis, a Master of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing from Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, and a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

Prior to its transition to the Center for Global Health Science and Security, Jim Welch served 19 years as the executive director of the Elizabeth R Griffin Research Foundation. The original mission of the Foundation was to improve occupational health awareness in the non-human primate research community. From that origin, the Foundation grew as a US-based non-profit organization and expanded its mission to working nationally and globally promoting biosafety and biosecurity as key to fostering global health security. With a strong desire for the important work of the Foundation to continue through a transition to a vibrant partner in global health security, he navigated the connection with Georgetown before his retirement in 2018.

As the executive director of ERGF, Jim was the originating chair of the steering group of the Global Health Security Agenda Consortium (GHSAC), the first NGO member of the Global Health Security Agenda Steering Group and served on the International Working Group on Strengthening the Culture of Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Responsible Conduct in the Life Sciences. He has been associated with the Joint External Evaluation International Alliance (JEE), the OIE Consultation Group on Sustainable Biosafety and Biosecurity, and served for over a decade on the advisory board of the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program at the US National Institutes of Health. He served on the governing councils of the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA) and ABSA International. He was as a named member of the Law Enforcement and Veterinary International Conference at INTERPOL, an external advisor for the Duke University Infectious Disease Response Training Program, and a member of the Global Health Security Roundtable. He was the 2011 recipient of the John H Richardson Award of ABSA International and is an honorary member of the Association of Primate Veterinarians as well as the International Biosafety Working Group. Jim was named a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow in 2021. In his semi-retirement, he serves on the Kingsport, Tennessee Board of Education and continues occasionally in his Affiliate status with ERGP as a key speaker, instructor, moderator and panelist at professional and governmental conferences, seminars, universities and for private companies.

As a member of CRDF Global’s global health team, Julie brings extensive experience in infectious diseases research, laboratory systems strengthening, and public health preparedness to the organization. Prior to joining CRDF Global, Julie served as Director of the Elizabeth R. Griffin Program and an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Georgetown University, where she led a multidisciplinary team to promote evidence-based biosafety and biosecurity practices, and to help partner nations strengthen their capacities to detect and characterize disease threats rapidly, reliably, accurately, and safely. Before she joined Georgetown, Julie held leadership positions at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health and the Global Health Security Program at the Stimson Center.

Julie received a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Vanderbilt University and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Washington and the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, reports, and training programs throughout her career.