Loren H. Roth, M.D., M.P.H., is (1) Associate Senior Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, (2) Senior Vice President, Medical Services at the UPMC Health System (UPMCHS), (3) Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and (4) Professor of Health Services Administration, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

Dr. Roth is a graduate of Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Public Health and the Yale and Massachusetts General Hospital psychiatric residency programs. Over the past 20 years, he has conducted seminal research in law and psychiatry related to informed consent, patient competency, confidentiality and ethics in research. Dr. Roth is past winner of the American Psychiatric Foundation’s prestigious Isaac Ray Award for outstanding career contributions to law and psychiatry. In addition, he has made significant contributions to the planning and execution of the new curriculum of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in his role as the co-coordinator for the Patient/Doctor Relationship curriculum.

In addition, Dr. Roth has taken on the responsibility of co-chairman, UPMC Bioterrorism Preparedness Group.

Dr. Michael Allswede currently serves as the Medical Toxicologist and Chief of the Special Emergency Response Section at the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. Building on his Desert Storm experiences, Dr. Allswede attended the US Army Medical Research Institutes of Chemical Defense and Infectious Disease to receive specialty training in chemical and biological warfare defense. Dr. Allswede has developed a number of educational programs in collaboration with the Michigan State Police, and the U.S. Department of Justice to create the a prototype State-level management system for weapons of mass destruction entitled the RaPiD-T Program. This grant-supported program includes educational programming as well as a multi-disciplinary approach crisis management organization.

Dr. Allswede has served as an instructor for the U.S. Department of Defense, Domestic Preparedness Program under the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici legislation of 1996, and has trained Metropolitan Medical Strike Team members in Detroit, New York, Chicago, and Boston. Active in his own community, Dr. Allswede is a member of the Biomedical Security Institute of Pittsburgh, a collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie-Mellon University, where he is a co-investigator in a syndromic detection and bio-surveillance project.

Named in October of 2000 by the US Attorney General to State and Local Advisory Group of the US Department of Justice National Domestic Preparedness Office, Dr. Allswede has applied his skills to the national policy arena. Dr. Allswede’s national and international encounters, tempered with real world experiences, provide him a unique view in the management of unconventional terrorism.

Since receiving her MLS from the University of Pittsburgh, Barbara has worked as a librarian in a variety of academic, medical, and corporate libraries. She currently works at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Library, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh as Reference/Outreach Librarian. Previous held positions include Social Sciences Reference Librarian at Hunt Library, Carnegie Mellon University and Librarian, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. She has a lively interest in all aspects of health care information. Current projects include building and maintaining the Health Sciences Library System's print and online resources related to biological and chemical terrorism.

Barbara Epstein is the Univeristy of PIttsburgh Associate Director for Administrative Services, Health Sciences Library System, a position she has held since 1995. Prior positions at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Library include Director, Associate Director. She has filled a variety of leadership roles in the Medical Library Association.

Carri Czyzewski received her Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and her BA in Political Science from Purdue University. She is currently Member Services Coordinator of the Allegheny County Library Association, specializing in training and development, legislative advocacy, marketing, and grant writing. Prior to joining ACLA, she worked for AT&T Media Services as a Financial Analyst.