Lab Culture Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)

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.