Officials have appointed Charles “Chuck:” Pantinas as new core director of facilities for the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University, according to a Monday press release.
Pantinas will maintain and oversee engineering standards of operations of the seven-story facility located on BU’s medical campus, the release stated.
Ellen Berlin, NEIDL spokeswoman, said Pantinas is a smart choice for the facilities core director position due to his vast relevant knowledge and expertise.
“He [Pantinas] has great experience at General Electric and at Procter and Gamble [Company],” said Ellen Berlin, BU spokeswoman for the NEIDL. “Those experiences make him especially well-suited for the position … He’s a great addition to the team that’s working there.”
In the release, Interim NEIDL Director John Murphy said Pantinas will add to the overall success of the facility in his new role.
“We are pleased to have Chuck join our team as his experience lends itself quite well to NEIDL operations,” Murphy said in the release. “Chuck will implement processes within the facility that will ensure continued safety and productivity.”
Pantinas has worked at General Electric, where he served as a lean leader, business leader in facilities and technical services leader in GE’s aviation department, according to the release.
Pantinas also has over six years of experience working at Procter and Gamble Company as group manager of facilities services, the release stated. He holds a Master of Science in engineering management from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Science in marine engineering from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
“They had a number of very qualified applicants, and Mr. Pantinas’s experience clearly resonated with the folks that were making the decision,” Berlin said.
The NEIDL facility on BU’s Medical Campus currently conducts research on biosafety Level 2 pathogens and diseases including tuberculosis, Berlin said. It is a 192,000-square-foot facility located in the historic South End of Boston.
NEIDL officials hope to begin research on biosafety Level 3 and Level 4 pathogens and diseases such as Ebola, SARS, anthrax, pneumonic plague and 1918 H1N1 influenza at the Albany Street location. This has caused some concern among the surrounding community.
However, NEIDL officials have long ensured the continued safety to both biolab workers and community members regardless of diseases studied.
Pending the outcome of legal action on these safety concerns, biolab officials hope to soon begin operating research at these higher levels, Berlin said.
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