Recognizing Excellence in Laboratory Safety
The Safety MVP Award celebrates individuals who go above and beyond in fostering a culture of safety within their research environments. This year's honorees, Wing-Cheung Lai and Anand Soorneedi, represent two distinct corners of the research world—one a staff scientist with twenty-five years of institutional memory, the other a virology researcher bringing federal safety standards to the university. Yet both share a common commitment: treating safety not as a checklist, but as a shared responsibility.
Wing Lai: The Institutional Anchor
When asked about the nature of his work, Wing-Cheung Lai explains that his research focuses on the study of protein translocation, using biophysical methods and cryo-EM to deduce structures and functions. This involves working with Legionella pneumophila, the bacterium responsible for a severe form of pneumonia and studying its T4 secretion system—the mechanism it uses to infect human cells.
As Clarissa Durie noted in her nomination, Lai is a staff scientist in the Durie lab in Biochemistry who was recently recognized for 25 years with the university. Most of that time, he worked with the Hazelbauer and Randall labs. As they retired, he transitioned to Durie's new lab and has supported its start-up period, including training every new member in the safe operation of equipment and best practices, including BSL2 protocols. Durie describes him as "a valued member of the department and a go-to resource for institutional knowledge."
Safety, Lai notes, is integrated into his daily routine from the moment he enters the lab. "Good lab safety is proper science," he says. "Contamination of bacteria is prevented by good housekeeping and proper labeling. It's about maintaining control over your work."
The most common practices in his lab reflect this constant vigilance. "Wearing PPE is for everyone in the space, every day—including those only using equipment for a short while," Lai states. "Key elements are clear signage, easy access to Safety Data Sheets, a maintained chemical inventory, and accessible areas for handling chemicals and biohazardous materials, with cleaning supplies readily available."
Beyond his own research, Lai takes an active role in enforcing these standards. "I go on 'patrol' to make sure lab workers and others are using proper PPE," he comments. He emphasizes that something as simple as a lab coat serves a dual purpose: protecting the researcher while also requiring proper care. "We must disinfect our lab coats because of our handling of bacteria."
Finally, he offers a crucial insight for anyone looking to improve their own safety practices. "It is important to build good habits," Lai adds. "Those will last a long time."
Anand Soorneedi: The Culture Carrier
Anand Soorneedi works in a virology lab, handling high-consequence pathogens at the BSL-3 level. His research focuses on developing tools to combat emerging threats like the Heartland virus—a tick-borne virus discovered in Missouri—and Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV).
In his nomination, Soorneedi articulated a philosophy that sets him apart. "I consistently treat safety as a shared responsibility, not a checklist item," he wrote. "I quietly notice what others miss—an unsecured gas cylinder, missing secondary containment, an outdated SOP—and fix it or raise it immediately, without blame or drama. What sets me apart is how I model safety culture by example: I stop my own experiments to help someone don proper PPE, help build safer workflows into protocols from the start instead of adding them as an afterthought, and I communicate clearly and respectfully across all levels of the lab. In doing so, I don't just follow our safety expectations—I elevate them and make it easier for everyone around me to work safely every day."
When asked how safety plays a role in his daily routine, Soorneedi's answer is direct. "Extremely important, especially at the BSL-3 level," he says. "We work with infectious viral agents, so safety is our number one priority—and not just for me, but for everyone in the lab. Everyone has to play their part because of the nature of our work."
The most common practices in his lab reflect the seriousness of the materials they handle. "Everything we work with is at least BSL-2 level, so at minimum we are wearing lab coats, eye protection, and sometimes masks," he explains. "We use fume hoods when working with volatile materials, and when we are working at the BSL-3 level, we wear PAPRs and Tyvek suits that help protect us."
Soorneedi brings a unique perspective to his role, shaped by experience at the federal level. "I worked for the NIH before I started working for Mizzou," he shares, "and the NIH and the CDC are the entities that dictate the rules of safety, so I gained a lot of experience in safety lab culture."
His final message echoes the collaborative spirit that defines his approach. "Lab safety is a team effort," Soorneedi adds, "and everyone should help with the heavy lifting."
Building a Culture That Lasts
Together, Lai and Soorneedi represent two generations of safety leadership—one rooted in decades of institutional knowledge and habit-building, the other shaped by federal standards and a commitment to shared responsibility. Both demonstrate that true safety excellence isn't found in a manual or a checklist, but in the daily choices researchers make: the patrol through the lab, the offer to help with PPE, the quiet fix of an unsecured cylinder.
As Lai puts it, "Build good habits. Those will last a long time."
