Alaska state virology lab: Freezing temps, wild animals, and extremely dedicated staff
Release Date: 04/24/2019
"We need to be obnoxiously positive and share how awesome we are."
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...
info_outline
Public health is always going to be a passion
Lab Culture
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...
info_outline
Dr. Bell and Dr. Yarosz love their CDC LLS fellowship experience. What is the LLS fellowship?
Lab Culture
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.
info_outline
Past, Present and Future of Biosafety
Lab Culture
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 Florida Department of Health Jill J. Power, MS Deputy Director New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Carrie Anglewicz, MS Biosafety Officer, Laboratory Outreach Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Christina Egan, PhD Deputy Director, Division of...
info_outline
APHL CEO Scott Becker wants to bring public health laboratory work into the foreground
Lab Culture
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 , , and this Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month! Links:
info_outline
What's next for the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) response to monkeypox?
Lab Culture
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...
info_outline
Day 3: 2022 APHL Annual Conference
Lab Culture
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.
info_outline
Day 2: 2022 APHL Annual Conference
Lab Culture
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!
info_outline
Day 1: 2022 APHL Annual Conference
Lab Culture
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.
info_outline
Scientists in Oregon and Michigan Honor World TB Day
Lab Culture
Every year we commemorate 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: (February 8, 2022) (CDC Fact Sheet)
info_outlineEvery 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