Lab Culture

At the 2025 APHL Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, APHL's current board president, president-elect and CEO sat down for a conversation about the challenges and successes of the past year. APHL President Dr. Megan Crumpler (director, Orange County Public Health Laboratory) and President-Elect Dr. Scott Shone (director, North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health) shared their experiences with major laboratory construction projects and their own approach to leadership. Along with APHL CEO Scott Becker, they discuss the challenges faced by public health laboratories and the need for a more visible role in local communities and our nation's public health system. "I think we need to be obnoxiously positive and share how awesome we are," strongly stated Dr. Shone. 

This episode is coming to you from the 2024 APHL Annual Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! We had the opportunity to chat with APHL's current President, President-elect and CEO about their experiences and observations from their roles. They are three extremely dedicated public health leaders who have come together at the Annual Conference for learning and collaborating, but also to see their colleagues who they consider friends and family. Don't miss this episode! Tim Southern, PhD, D(ABMM) APHL President, 2023-2024 Laboratory Director, South Dakota Public Health Laboratory Megan Crumpler, PhD, HCLD(ABB) APHL President-Elect 2023-2024 Director, Orange County Public Health Laboratory Scott J. Becker, MS APHL Chief Executive Officer

What is the CDC Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS)? In this episode, we learn more about it from two current LLS fellows. Drs. Courtnee Bell and Emily Yarosz discuss how they learned about the fellowship, their experiences and where they see themselves when their fellowships end.   CDC Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS) Minnesota Public Health Laboratory Public Health Laboratory Fellowship Program: an APHL-CDC Initiative APHL Blog

Today's show is a conversation between four past winners of APHL's Leadership in Biosafety and Biosecurity Award. Jill Power, Christina Egan, Carrie Anglewicz and Andrew Cannons share their thoughts on the past, present and future of biosafety in public health laboratories. Andrew C. Cannons, PhD Laboratory Director Bureau of Public Health Laboratories –Tampa Florida Department of Health Jill J. Power, MS Deputy Director New Hampshire Public Health Laboratories New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Carrie Anglewicz, MS Biosafety Officer, Laboratory Outreach Bureau of Laboratories Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Christina Egan, PhD Deputy Director, Division of Infectious Diseases Chief, Biodefense and Mycology Laboratories Wadsworth Center New York State Department of Health Links: Leadership in Biosafety and Biosecurity Award Strengthening Lab Biosafety & Biosecurity APHL Blog posts about biosafety

It's September which means it is Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month! We are kicking off a month of celebrating by chatting with Scott Becker, APHL CEO, about the exciting work being done by public health laboratory staff as well as the challenges many face. Scott also shares what he's most looking forward to in the year to come. Don't forget to follow #ThanksPHLabs and APHL on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok this Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month! Links: 2022 Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month Toolkit E.coli Outbreak with Unknown Food Source (August 2022) New Public Health Laboratory Workforce Pipeline Project Receives Historic and Much-Needed $282 Million Investment What is the APHL-CDC Fellowship Program and why should you consider applying? APHL.org/Fellowships APHL ID Lab Con 2023 APHL Newborn Screening Symposium

As the 2022 monkeypox outbreak began to spread around the globe, the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) was prepared with the appropriate test and experienced staff trained to perform it. These frontline responders were the first to test suspected monkeypox samples in the US and continue to be vital to this public health emergency response. As we move into the next phase of this response with commercial laboratories coming online to test patients, what is the role of the LRN? What role do public health laboratories, the largest segment of LRN labs, play? In this episode, two key APHL leaders answer these questions and more: Dr. Ewa King, chief program officer, and Chris Mangal, director of public health preparedness and response.   Links: The LRN's job is to prepare, detect and respond. But what exactly does that mean? APHL Monkeypox Response U.S. Monkeypox Outbreak 2022: Situation Summary (CDC)

Day three of the 2022 APHL Annual Conference was a great one! We started off with the annual awards ceremony which always sets the tone for an exciting day. This mini episode includes an interview with one of the APHL-CDC Bioinformatics Fellows about his first experience at the APHL Annual Conference.

Today was the first full day of the 2022 APHL Annual Conference and it did not disappoint! From COVID-19 to newborn screening to food safety and more, there was a fascinating presentation to intrigue anyone. We kicked off the day with a sunrise walk and line danced together after lunch! 

The 2022 APHL Annual Conference kicked off as our first ever hybrid conference! Listen to a few attendees talk about what it means to them to be back in person at our largest conference ever and what they're looking forward to this week.

Every year we commemorate World TB Day on March 24, the anniversary of the day Dr. Robert Koch first announced that he discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes TB. This World TB Day, we are sharing an insightful conversation between two TB laboratory leaders: Angie Schooley, B.S. MT(ASCP), Mycobacteriology/Mycology Unit Manager, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services  and Caitlin Miranda, M(ASCP), Microbiologist III, Oregon State Public Health Laboratory. Links: Oregon State Public Health Laboratory Oregon Public Health Division Tuberculosis Program Michigan Department of Health & Human Services Tuberculosis Control Program Bovine TB testing of wild deer wraps up after disease found at Michigan cervid farms (February 8, 2022) What is Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB)? (CDC Fact Sheet) 12th National Conference on Laboratory Aspects of Tuberculosis World TB Day APHL Tuberculosis webpage APHL Blog – Tuberculosis blog posts Lab Culture Ep. 8: Leaders for a TB free world  

Like most things in public health science, food safety is complicated. The nuance can be difficult for non-scientists to understand and difficult for scientists to communicate. On this episode of Lab Culture, Shari Shea, APHL's director of food safety, discusses some of what makes food safety fascinating and complex along with guests Ben Chapman, Associate Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist at North Carolina State University, and Don Schaffner, Distinguished Professor and Extension Specialist in Food Science and Professor at Rutgers University.   Links: Food Safety Talk 242: Invisible Poop Particles Risky or Not episode 217: Homemade Treats From Neighbors Risky or Not episode 87: 27 Lbs of Unrefrigerated Feta Cheese Risky or Not episode 214: Having a Romantic Flour Fight “Modeling the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on cut cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon” “Ranking the disease burden of 14 pathogens in food sources in the United States using attribution data from outbreak investigations and expert elicitation” “Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions for SARS-CoV-2 on norovirus outbreaks: an analysis of outbreaks reported by 9 US States” Hello Fresh: Food Safety/Recall Notices CDC MMWR: “Decreased Incidence of Infections Caused by Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food During the COVID-19 Pandemic — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2017–2020” “Labs with No One to Run Them: Why Public Health Workers Are Fleeing the Field” “APHL: Historic Investments Will Strengthen Public Health Laboratory Workforce” Lab Culture Ep. 22: Life as a public health lab scientist testing for COVID-19 “DO NOT RINSE YOUR TURKEY! And other Thanksgiving food rules for every day” Don Schaffner on Twitter Ben Chapman on Twitter Shari Shea on Twitter Food Safety Talk podcast Risky or Not podcast

Eric Bind and Andrew Steffens, scientists at the New Jersey Public Health and Environmental Laboratories, knew their lab was capable of screening expectant mothers and newborn babies for lead and mercury. But creating a program that also included important clinical interventions was unprecedented. On this episode of Lab Culture, they share how they pioneered this valuable program and established a precedent for others. Links: NJ Biomonitoring Website  Lead and Mercury Educational Materials (English) Prenatal Screening Mercury Questionnaire  NJDEP Fish Advisory  Boston Birth Cohort Study: Lead Paper Boston Birth Cohort Study: Mercury Paper CDC: Heavy Metals during Pregnancy CDC: Pregnancy Information Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) Lead and Mercury Educational Materials (Spanish) Lead and Mercury Educational Materials (French Creole) Lead and Mercury Educational Materials (Polish) Lead and Mercury Educational Materials (Portuguese) “New Jersey Laboratory Pioneers Prenatal Lead and Mercury Screening” (Lab Matters magazine)  

In October 2020, Dr. Rick Bright resigned in protest as director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) because of the Trump administration's political interference in the COVID-19 response and their efforts to spread dangerous misinformation. Since then, Dr. Bright has joined The Rockefeller Foundation as senior vice president of pandemic prevention and response. Dr. Bright joined APHL CEO Scott Becker for a discussion as part of APHL's Member Assembly – this episode is a recording of that conversation.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has been a major topic of discussion among APHL’s members, staff and partners as well as in the national discourse. Understanding the minority experience is important so that individual and systemic progress can be made. But what is it like for public health laboratory staff who identify as being in a minority group? The Emerging Leader Program’s (ELP) 13 Fall Cohort decided to tackle this topic as part of their final project. In this episode, four members of this cohort shared pieces of the conversations they had with their colleagues and their overall thoughts on DEI within the public health laboratory as a workplace. The ELP 13-Fall Cohort is a larger group, but only four members participated in this episode. They are: Chenelle Norman Association of Public Health Laboratories Newborn Screening and Genetics Manager, Newborn Screening Quality Improvement Kim Smith Houston Health Department Quality and Compliance QA/QC Officer Alyssa MacMillan New Jersey Department of Health Public Health & Environmental Laboratories Microbiology Program Manager Jill Simonetti Minnesota Department of Health Public Health Laboratory Newborn Screening Operations Supervisor   Links: How racism makes us sick | David R. Williams “Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter” by David Rock and Heidi Grant  "Why The Phrase ‘Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps’ Is Nonsense" Lab Culture Ep. 9: What is the APHL Emerging Leader Program?   Lab Culture Ep. 10: Public health labs do that?! Lab Culture Ep. 11: What if there were no public health labs?  Lab Culture Ep. 12: Bitten by the public health bug — How I found my lab niche  APHL Emerging Leader Program  APHL on Twitter APHL on Facebook APHL on Instagram APHL Blog

On August 27, 2020, APHL joined The Story Collider for a very special edition of their show featuring four true, personal stories about from APHL members about how COVID-19 has impacted their lives. This episode is a recording of that show. The Story Collider produces dozens of live shows all over the country, and recently has moved to an exciting online format. Links APHL.org The Story Collider September is Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month APHL 2020 Virtual Conference

Jessica Bauer and Matt Sinn are scientists at the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory. On this episode, they shared their experiences performing COVID-19 testing, working long hours seven days a week, supporting their staff while trying not to burnout themselves. As they describe in this conversation, the experience has been nothing they ever could have expected. Jessica Bauer, molecular unit chief Matthew Sinn, molecular laboratory manager Links: Missouri State Public Health Laboratory APHL: Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic COVID-19 posts on APHLblog.org 

Are we already at the end of 2019?! While to many of us it felt like the year flew by, APHL staff, members and partners accomplished a LOT in an effort to protect the public's health. In this episode, Scott Becker, APHL's executive director, reviews some of the highlights of the year along with Gynene Sullivan, APHL's manager of communications, who is finalizing our Annual Report. Follow APHL on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so you don't miss anything! Links: APHL: Lung Injury Response Associated with Vaping CDC: Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products APHL work on opioids Data: Elemental to Health advocacy campaign Supporting rapid exchange of public health data is urgent, crucial and laden with challenges APHL AIMS Platform Lab Matters (Fall 2019): Making Data Fly NewSTEPs Data Repository APHL Newborn Screening Systems Quality Improvement Projects Award Recipients Announced APHL Public Health Laboratory Fellowships APHL Emerging Leader Program Lab Culture Ep. 9: What is the APHL Emerging Leader Program? CDC: US Measles Cases and Outbreaks in 2019 “Launching Whole Genome Sequencing in the Public Health Realm” Lab Matters (Fall 2013) Accreditation for Human and Animal Food Labs APHL Conferences Lab Culture Extra: Progress in Sierra Leone APHL Global Health Program: Countries we serve Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP) Laboratory Response Network (LRN) Lab Culture Ep. 20: 20 Years of the Laboratory Response Network “Two Decades of Preparedness Excellence: The Laboratory Response Network” Lab Matters (Fall 2019) The LRN’s job is to prepare, detect and respond. But what exactly does that mean? Strengthening Lab Biosafety & Biosecurity “Ensuring Readiness for Rabies in Puerto Rico” Lab Matters (Spring 2019) “Public Health System Recovery in Full Swing: Hurricane Response in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands” Lab Matters (Spring 2019) In Puerto Rico, a new molecular bacteriology lab allows better control of foodborne outbreaks APHL Publications “US officials identify 'strong culprit' in vaping illnesses” Associated Press (video interview)

This year marks 20 years since the inception of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN). Founded by APHL, CDC and the FBI, the LRN exists to protect the public from biological and chemical threats. How did the LRN get its start? And how has it evolved over the past 20 years? This episode of Lab Culture features an interview with two public health laboratory scientists and LRN experts. Maureen “Moe” Sullivan Emergency Preparedness and Response Laboratory Supervisor Public Health Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health Stefan Saravia Biomonitoring and Emerging Contaminants Unit Supervisor Public Health Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health Links: Minnesota Laboratory Emergency Preparedness About the Laboratory Response Network (APHL.org) The Laboratory Response Network Partners in Preparedness (CDC.gov) What is biomonitoring? (Video) “Pine County man charged with government center threats, more” (StarTribune)

APHL has a long history of involvement in Sierra Leone where we’ve provided technical assistance to strengthen the nation’s laboratory system for over a decade. Following the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, we were invited back to build laboratory response capability for Ebola and other highly infectious diseases. We found there was a lot to be done: a strategic plan for the laboratory system, renovation of the central lab, training and mentoring of lab staff, reducing turnaround time for Ebola testing, and much more. With the engagement completed earlier this year, APHL Executive Director Scott Becker and Manager of Global Health Sherrie Staley share insights from APHL’s on-the-ground experience, which include the value of a healthy ram. Links: Photo album -- Progress in Sierra Leone APHL joins partners in Sierra Leone to strengthen lab capacity in Ebola’s wake High profile APHL team explores MOHS public health laboratory priority needs APHL in Sierra Leone: Building a resilient lab system Sierra Leone and Guinea: Building a resilient lab system

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, author of What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, joins us for an interview about the importance of storytelling in public health. Did Dr. Mona's successful use of narratives allow Flint's story to be as resilient as the people who lived it? Links Is water in Flint safe to drink? It’s not just a question of chemistry. [Op-ed by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha] What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City

Today was day three of the annual meeting! We started the day with awards ceremony and concluded with the member assembly, listening to many great speakers in between. For many, the highlight was the Dr. Katherine Kelley Distinguished Lecture delivered by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha. Dr. Mona is a pediatrician, scientist, researcher, activist and author of What the Eyes Don’t See. Her research and the work of her team exposed the deliberate effort to cover up the Flint water crisis and the lead poisoning of Flint, Michigan's children.  APHL honors public health leaders at 2019 annual meeting What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City

It was another great day at the annual meeting in St. Louis! As the attendees interviewed on this episode will share, some of the highlights included Poster Speed Dating, learning about new technology from exhibitors and, of course, networking.  Follow #APHL on Twitter and Instagram for more updates!

We're in St. Louis for the 2019 APHL Annual Meeting! This episode is a round-up of all the excitement of the first day. It was fascinating and exhausting, just as the annual meeting should be. Follow #APHL on Twitter and Instagram for more updates!

Every area of our country is unique in ways that make public health laboratory work vary from one state or locality to another. But just as Alaska is different from the lower-48 states in most ways, their public health lab's work is too. Have you ever considered all the ways it might be different to work in the Alaska state lab in Fairbanks? This episode of Lab Culture reveals some of the many ways in which working in Alaska is unlike anywhere else. Jayme Parker, manager, Virology Unit, Alaska State Public Health Laboratory (Fairbanks) Nisha Fowler, microbiologist, Alaska State Public Health Laboratory (Fairbanks) Links: Virology Unit of the Alaska State Public Health Laboratory Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities -- FAQs Alaska's permafrost/ice lenses  

In the spring of 2018 patients suffering from profuse bleeding swamped emergency rooms in Illinois and Wisconsin. The cause? Synthetic cannabinoids laced with rat poison. When an outbreak of contaminated synthetic cannabinoids reached Wisconsin in 2018, scientists at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) rushed to develop the first quantitative method for diagnostic testing of brodifacoum, a powerful anticoagulant used in rat poison. Thanks to their work, patients with brodifacoum poisoning can now be treated with a precisely calibrated dose of vitamin K and that treatment can be ended when it is no longer medically necessary. Previously, physicians had to guess when to end treatment and re-start it if they guessed wrong. WSLH’s Noel Stanton, Chemical Emergency Response Coordinator, and Bill Krick, an Advanced Chemist in the Chemical Emergency Response Unit, speak with Public Affairs Director Jan Klawitter about the test’s development and the outbreak that made it necessary.   Links: Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) Accolades for WSLH’s Chemical Emergency Response Team Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2, Spice) – Wisconsin Department of Health Services Lab Matters: Indiana and Wisconsin Respond to Synthetic Cannabinoid Contamination Laboratory Response Network (LRN) APHL in Action archives

What happens inside a public health lab when a health threat sends it into overdrive? Find out how the North Dakota lab met a surge in West Nile Virus in 2018 in this APHL in Action Lab Culture Extra. Links: APHL in Action Archives CDC Preliminary Maps and Data for 2018, West Nile Virus CDC ArboNET Disease Map North Dakota Department of Health – West Nile Virus Key Factors Influencing the Incidence of West Nile Virus in Burleigh County, North Dakota

Kevin Libuit went from the APHL-CDC Bioinformatics Fellowship to a contractor to working full-time as a bioinformatician at the Virginia state lab (VA Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS)). First he talks about when he discovered bioinformatics as a field and how the fellowship propelled his career. Then Kevin takes the mic and interviews Dr. Denise Toney, director of Virginia DCLS, about the value and growing need for bioinformaticians in public health labs.    Links APHL-CDC Fellowships APHL-CDC Bioinformatics Fellowships Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS) APHL Off the Bench (new Facebook group!)

Fifty-five years ago, newborn screening was born. At the time, though, that little heel prick was performed to screen for only one condition: phenylketonuria (PKU). Without early intervention, babies born with PKU faced severe cognitive, behavioral and other neurological disorders. The advent of PKU newborn screening allowed health care providers and families to make critical changes to a baby’s diet to prevent those consequences. Today, December 3, is PKU Awareness Day. It’s hard to say where newborn screening would be without that first PKU test. And 55 years later, it’s hard to say where newborn screening would be without the families and individuals living with PKU who have shared their stories to convey the value of this simple test. One of those individuals is Kevin Alexander. Kevin has been a leader in the PKU community simply by sharing his story and his experiences living with PKU. He has spoken at conferences and events around the world, created a video documentary about his life, served as a leader and friend to others living with PKU, and now he shares his voice in a new podcast. For this PKU Awareness Day, we are sharing Kevin’s podcast, PKU Life Podcast with Kevin Alexander. We are so appreciative of Kevin’s willingness to both share with and listen to those in the newborn screening community. Kevin, thank you for your leadership, friendship and generosity!   PKU Life Podcast with Kevin Alexander – Facebook PKU Life Podcast with Kevin Alexander – Instagram PKU Life Podcast with Kevin Alexander – Twitter   APHL’s Newborn Screening Program APHL blog posts about PKU PKU Awareness Day  

Joanne Bartkus, APHL's board president and director of the Public Health Laboratory at the Minnesota Department of Health, sat down with Scott Becker, our executive director, and Gynene Sullivan, editor of Lab Matters magazine, to talk about priorities for the year. Their conversation ranged from informatics to health equity to... snuggling with a bat?! Joanne Bartkus, PhD, D(ABMM) Director, Public Health Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health Scott J. Becker, MS Executive director, Association Public Health Laboratories​ @ScottJBecker Links Lab Matters Lab Matters -- Android app Lab Matters -- iTunes app APHL Board of Directors      

Day 3 of the APHL Annual Meeting was a big one! We had several captivating sessions including this year's Katherine Kelley Distinguished Lecturer, Maryn McKenna, renowned journalist and author. Listen to today's episode to hear a few attendees share what they took away from the day.

A huge component of any APHL Annual Meeting is the exhibit hall. This year we were joined by 68 exhibitors, all of whom were sharing new and interesting products, services and technologies with meeting attendees. In today's episode, we chat with representatives from Roche, Bio-Rad Laboratories and Hologic.  Learn more about APHL's corporate membership and other opportunities.

We are in sunny Pasadena, California for the 2018 APHL Annual Meeting! Here is a little look at what we did on the first day. Stay tuned for updates every day through June 5. 2018 APHL Annual Meeting and Twelfth Government Environmental Laboratory Conference Join the conversation using #APHL on: Twitter Instagram Facebook

The people who work in public health laboratories make a difference in your community daily. In this third episode, members of the Emerging Leader Program cohort 10 sit down with their peers to hear how their public health laboratory careers have made an impact. ELP cohort 10 members featured in this episode: Dana White has been working in the public health lab for 16 years and is now the state training coordinator at the Mississippi Public Health Lab. Dr.Ona Adair has been working in the public health lab for nine years and is now the Chemistry Division director at the South Carolina Public Health Laboratory. Dr. Harmeet Kaur worked in the Placer County Public Health Laboratory for four years and is currently a LabAspire Assistant Director Fellow. Kristen Durie has been working in the public health lab for six years and is now the chemistry quality assurance manager at the New York State Food Laboratory. Matt Bradke has been working in the public health lab for 16 years and is now the chemical terrorism laboratory supervisor at the Arkansas Public Health Laboratory. Interviewees: Degina Booker has been working in the public health lab for 40 years and is now the administrative services director for the Mississippi Public Health Lab. Dr. Burton Wilcke, Jr., now retired, has worked in public health laboratories for over 35 years in Vermont, Michigan and California. Dr. Wilcke remains active in the public health laboratory community as a member of both the APHL Workforce Development Committee  and the Global Health Committee. Dr. Musau WaKabongo, now retired, was the Public Health Laboratory Director at the Placer County Public Health Laboratory  and has worked in several public health laboratories in California for 13 years. Dr. Maria Ishida has been working in public health for 11 years and is now the director of the New York State Food Laboratory. Are you thinking about a career in a public health laboratory? APHL’s professional development resources APHL Job Center Blog posts on workforce and professional development

Maybe the saying is true: you don’t know what you had until it is gone. For the families in this episode, the absence of public health laboratories turned their worlds upside down and negatively impacted both the present and future. These families represent us all and highlight the vulnerabilities that would exist if there were no public health laboratories working continuously to keep our communities and populations safe. This is the second episode in the series produced by members of the Emerging Leader Program cohort 10.  Emerging Infectious Disease Response: APHL’s Infectious Disease Program Laboratory Response Network (LRN) Interviewer: Kate Wainwright, PhD, D(ABMM), HCLD (ABB), MPH, MSN, RN, deputy director, Public Health Protection and Laboratory Services, Indiana State Department of Health Expert: Peter Shult, PhD, director, Communicable Disease Division; associate director, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison   Newborn Screening: APHL’s Newborn Screening Program NewSTEPs Baby’s First Test Interviewer: Josh Rowland, MBA, MT(ASCP), manager, Training and Workforce Development, Association of Public Health Laboratories  Expert: Miriam Schachter, PhD, research scientist 3, New Jersey Department of Health, Newborn Screening Laboratory   Foodborne Illness: APHL’s Food Safety Program 5 Things You Didn’t Know (but Need to Know) About Listeria Interviewer: Samir Patel, PhD, FCCM, (D)ABMM, clinical microbiologist, Public Health Ontario; Toronto, Canada Expert: Vanessa Allen, MD, MPH, medical microbiologist, chief of microbiology, Public Health Ontario; Toronto, Canada   Narrator:  Erin Bowles, B.S., MT(ASCP), Wisconsin Clinical Laboratory Network coordinator and co-biosafety officer, Communicable Disease Division, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison Contributor: Emily Travanty, PhD, scientific director, Laboratory Services Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Special thanks to Jim Hermanson at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene for his help in recording this episode.

Public health laboratories do a great deal of work that impacts the daily lives of everyone in America. Do you know exactly how much they’re doing? The first episode produced by members of the Emerging Leader Program cohort 10 looks at some of the work performed by public health lab scientists. (*indicates ELP cohort 10 member) Water Quality Testing Interviewer: *Amanda Hughes, program manager of ambient air quality monitoring, State Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa Experts: Michael Schueller, assistant director of operations, State Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa Nancy Hall, program manager, Environmental Microbiology, State Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa Water quality testing at the State Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa   Alcohol Testing Interviewer: *Gitika Panicker, microbiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Expert: Laura Bailey, director, Office of Alcohol Testing, Arkansas State Public Health Laboratory Alcohol testing at the Arkansas State Public Health Laboratory   Influenza Testing Interviewer: *Shondra Johnson, laboratory information management system administrator, Missouri State Public Health Laboratory Expert: Jessica Bauer, molecular unit manager, Missouri State Public Health Laboratory Seasonal influenza testing at the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory   Bioterrorism Interviewer: Avi Singh, food lab lead microbiologist, Washington State Public Health Laboratory Expert: *Denny Russell, bioterrorism coordinator, Washington State Public Health Laboratory   Foodborne Outbreak Linked to Flour Interviewer: *Rebecca Lindsey, Whole Genome Sequence Project lead, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Experts: Heather A. Carleton, bioinformatics team lead, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Samuel J. Crowe, National Outbreak Reporting System team lead, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) E. coli outbreak linked to flour (CDC) Shiga Toxin–Producing E. coli Infections Associated with Flour      

What is the Emerging Leader Program (ELP)? APHL staff, Pandora Ray and Kajari Shah, share how the ELP got its start and how it has progressed. This year's ELP cohort is producing three episodes for Lab Culture that will be released over the coming weeks. Stay tuned! APHL Emerging Leader Program

Every year on March 24, APHL recognizes World TB Day, a day to focus on the valuable work of our members and partners. While tuberculosis is often considered a disease of the past, it is resurging and presenting significant new public health challenges including drug resistance. This World TB Day, we are sharing an insightful conversation between two TB laboratory leaders: Dr. Marie-Claire Rowlinson, assistant laboratory director, Bureau of Public Health Laboratories, Florida Department of Health and Dr. Beverly Metchock, team lead, TB Reference Laboratory, CDC Division of Tuberculosis Elimination.    Links APHL TB program World TB Day Resources National Tuberculosis Controllers Association The Tenacity of Tuberculosis: MDR-TB (blog post)

In November, Scott Becker, APHL’s executive director, traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa for the second APHL International Team Meeting. While he was there, he sat down with five members of the APHL international team to discuss their work and what led them to pursue a career in laboratory science. The APHL International Team Meeting allows for US-based APHL leadership and global health program staff and consultants working in-country to discuss organizational operations and key programmatic successes and challenges. In most cases, this is the only time during the year that these individuals have an opportunity to meet face-to-face. Participants from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Guinea, Sierra Leone and APHL’s US headquarters were all in attendance. Interviews include: Levi Vere, Laboratory Quality Monitoring Manager, APHL Zimbabwe Shanette Nixon, Global Health Consultant, APHL Esther Vitto, Laboratory Program Support, APHL Sierra Leone Mohamed Fofanah, Associate Specialist, Administration and Finance, APHL Sierra Leone Rufus Nyaga, LIS Technical Consultant and Project Manager, APHL Kenya APHL’s Global Health Program Mudslides in Sierra Leone Zimbawe After Mugabe

The Biosafety Peer Network (aka the Visiting Biosafety Official Program) links US local, state, and territorial public health laboratories with US-affiliated Pacific Island laboratories to facilitate mentoring and information sharing among biosafety officials and officers. The exchange is intended to foster a collaborative community, advance  biosafety and biosecurity in laboratories, and ultimately improve public health laboratory biosafety and biosecurity across the US. So what exactly does the Biosafety Peer Network do? Three members of this network -- Rebecca Sciulli (Hawaii), Paul Fox (Hawaii) and Anne Marie Santos (Guam) sat down for a conversation about their work. Photo: Paul Fox (left) and Rebecca Sciulli (center) giving Anne Marie Santos (right) a tour of the Hawaii Laboratories Division facility to showcase their biosafety practices, as part of the Peer Network program. Links Biosafety Peer Network Program Application Laboratory Biosafety & Biosecurity Resources Biosafety & Biosecurity Training

Four years ago, as APHL joined with partners to celebrate the 50th anniversary of routine newborn screening in the United States, newborn screening hit more closely for APHL staff than it ever had before. Michelle Forman, manager of media and Lab Culture host, received a text that her new niece, Sloane, had a positive newborn screen. Her results were out of range for PKU. In this episode, Michelle interviews Sloane's mom, Judith Forman, about that experience. Newborn Screening Gets Personal: My Niece’s Positive Screen Classic Phenylketonuria (PKU) Benign Hyperphenylalaninemia (Hyper-Phe) APHL's Newborn Screening & Genetics Program What is newborn screening? FAQs

PulseNet revolutionized foodborne outbreak detection in the United States. What exactly is it? How did it get started? Why was it so significant? And what does the future of foodborne outbreak detection look like? Brian Sauders, molecular microbiologist at the NY State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and Shari Shea, director of food safety at APHL, answer these questions and more.    Links: What is PulseNet? About PulseNet (CDC) PulseNet success stories 20 years of PulseNet: Preventing thousands of illnesses and saving millions of dollars (cost-benefit analysis) Awards PulseNet has received Innovations in American Government Award CBS News article on PulseNet launch including quotes from Al Gore 1993 Jack in the Box outbreak Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly and Salmonella Nchanga Infections Associated with a Raw Scraped Ground Tuna Product Laboratory Response Network (LRN) New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Food Laboratory Shari Shea on Twitter APHL’s Food Safety Program APHL-CDC Infectious Diseases Laboratory Fellowship

APHL was an official and proud partner of the March for Science! We spoke with two people who joined us on Saturday, April 22 about why they were marching for science. Links: APHL's March for Science photo album Official March for Science website Everything you need for Lab Week 2017 APHL is now on Instagram!                  

On March 6, a small group of APHL members and our policy staff visited House and Senate offices as part of our annual Hill Day. Peter Kyriacopoulos, APHL’s senior director of public policy, interviewed the group following their meetings to get their immediate thoughts.   Links: ELC Program: Essential Funding for Public Health Lab Response Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity fact sheet APHL Advocacy Priorities   Hill Day group: Chris Whelen – laboratory director, Hawaii Department of Health State Laboratories Division Sara Vetter – manager, Infectious Disease Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health Public Health Laboratory Jennifer Rakeman – assistant commissioner, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Denise Toney – director, Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services Peter Kyriacopoulos – senior director of public policy, APHL Celia Hagan – manager of public policy, APHL Nisha Quasba – public policy intern, APHL

Did you know that the Affordable Care Act (ACA, aka Obamacare) includes critical public health funding? What would the repeal of the ACA mean for public health? Peter Kyriacopoulos, APHL’s senior director of public policy, talks about the CDC-managed Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) program, a source of crosscutting support for public health laboratories funded under the ACA through the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). Links: ELC Program: Essential Funding for Public Health Lab Response (APHL.org) Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) Cooperative Agreement (CDC.gov) Critical Public Health Fund Would Be Lost With ACA Repeal Find your State or Territorial Health Official Find your US Senators Find your US Representative Peter Kyriacopoulos on Twitter APHL Blog @APHL on Twitter APHL on Facebook APHL.org