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https://www.aphlblog.org/lab-culture-ep-35-oregons-one-health-approach-to-yersinia-enterocolitica-case/How did a baby become ill with Yersinia enterocolitica, bacteria most often found in pork, when no contaminated food was found in the home? In this episode of Lab Culture, Dr. Karim Morey, a microbiologist with the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory, explains that routine laboratory testing, a comprehensive and sophisticated foodborne illness investigation process, and a One Health approach helped solve this unique case. Don't miss this interview by Stephanie Barahona, APHL's media specialist, which is in both English and Spanish. Find the Spanish version of the conversation shortly after the 16-minute mark.

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.

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