Lab Culture

Latest Episodes:

Day 1: 2022 APHL Annual Conference May 17, 2022

Show notes

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.

Scientists in Oregon and Michigan Honor World TB Day Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

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:

Discussing food safety with colleagues, but please not over lunch Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

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

How two New Jersey lab scientists launched an unprecedented prenatal lead and mercury screening program Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

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)

A Conversation with Dr. Rick Bright Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

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.

The Story Collider Presents: Pandemic Perspectives from the Public Health Laboratory Sep 11, 2020

Show notes

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

Life as a public health lab scientist testing for COVID-19 Jul 29, 2020

Show notes

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

2019 Year in Review Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

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)

20 Years of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) Oct 17, 2019

Show notes

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)

Lab Culture Extra: Progress in Sierra Leone Aug 21, 2019

Show notes

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