Media Advisory

CDC Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to Mark Opening of New Laboratory Facility

What:

CDC will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new laboratory facility, Building 23.

Who:

• Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• William P. (Bill) Nichols, MPA, Chief Operating Officer
• George Chandler, MRP, MPA, Director, Buildings and Facilities
• Rima Khabbaz, MD, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases
• Bernie Marcus, Marcus Foundation

When:

Thursday, June 3, 2010, 10:00 a.m. ET

Where:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329

Location:
For directions to CDC, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/resources/visitGuide.htm#direction. Parking is available in the Building 19 parking deck located on CDC Parkway. Media should arrive at the CDC Visitor's Center by 9:30 a.m. Media must present photo ID for access. All visitors are required to be escorted by CDC staff.

Background

The CDC Building 23 laboratory facility will complete the replacement of all outdated CDC biological laboratories, including the oldest laboratory buildings on CDC's main campus.  Building 23 will enhance CDC's research on malaria, parasitic diseases, Salmonella, and E. coli, maintain PulseNet (the national DNA “fingerprint” library of foodborne diseases) and support AIDS research.

Special Note – reporters who wish to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony must RSVP to Candice Burns Hoffmann in CDC's Division of Media Relations (hqx5@cdc.gov) by COB on Wednesday, June 2, 2010.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES