Role of Community

 

The South End neighborhood is rich in both history and culture. The nearly 30,000 residents, 5% of the City’s total population, are highly diverse in terms of race, ethnicity and household income. The National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories is located in BioSquare, the City of Boston’s only biomedical research park adjacent to Boston University’s Medical Campus, in the southeast portion of the South End neighborhood.

The participation of the community is important to the success of the NEIDL. Boston University Medical Campus has participated in more than 500 meetings, across diverse groups, neighborhoods, and organizations, in order to educate the community, solicit feedback and address concerns about the facility. In direct response to the input received during outreach meetings and discussions, BUMC worked to expand access to information about the laboratory and facilitate open dialogue and meaningful exchange through the adoption of a Biosafety Laboratory Advisory Group during the planning phase of the project and creation of a Community Liaison Committee during the construction and operation of the facility.