PROJECT SAFE LAB

Dr. Lora Grainger is the Founder, Owner, and Chief Executive Officer of Project SAFE Lab, LLC, a woman-owned small business dedicated to advancing biosafety, biosecurity, and biorisk management worldwide. With more than 15 years of experience in laboratory safety and security, she provides technical, programmatic, and strategic expertise to public health, academic, government, and research laboratories working with biological materials.

Prior to founding Project SAFE Lab, Dr. Grainger served as a Senior Engineering Program and Project Lead at Sandia National Laboratories, where she contributed to the development of the Global Biorisk Management Curriculum (GBRMC), led international biosafety and biosecurity capacity-building initiatives, and mentored laboratory professionals around the world.

Through Project SAFE Lab, Dr. Grainger has supported numerous U.S. Government-funded Cooperative Threat Reduction and Global Health Security initiatives, working alongside international partners to strengthen laboratory systems, improve risk management practices, develop sustainable training programs, and enhance biosafety and biosecurity culture. Her work has included collaboration with organizations such as CRDF Global and Health Security Partners, supporting laboratories across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

A recognized subject matter expert in biorisk management, Dr. Grainger specializes in biosafety and biosecurity risk assessment, training and curriculum development, laboratory mentorship, performance improvement, and workforce capacity building. She has trained, coached, and mentored hundreds of biosafety professionals and laboratory leaders, helping organizations implement practical, sustainable approaches to laboratory risk management.

Dr. Grainger is a contributing author of the textbook Laboratory Biorisk Management: Biosafety and Biosecurity, where she co-authored the chapter on biorisk management training. She regularly presents at international conferences and professional forums on topics including laboratory biosafety, biosecurity, risk assessment, training effectiveness, and responsible conduct of research.

She earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Arizona, where her research focused on Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) latency and virology. Dr. Grainger combines her scientific expertise with a passion for education, mentorship, and global collaboration to help laboratories operate safely, securely, and responsibly in support of scientific discovery and public health.