COLUMNS

2 President’ s Message 3 CEO’ s Message

Career Pathways

4 Lessons from Boot Camp: One Laboratorian’ s Journey

6 Fellows Take the Stage Presenting Their Research

7 Promoting Student Exposure to Public Health Laboratory Science via MLS Programs

8 Leveraging Social Media to Promote Public Health Laboratory Science Careers

From the Bench

10 Evolution of Mpox Testing in California and the Detection of the First Clade Ib Case in the Americas

Industry Matters

APHL PROGRAMS

12 Sustainability as a Catalyst for Public Health Laboratory Resilience

FEATURE

14 Ensuring Quality, Safety and Efficiency in the Public Health Laboratory

FEATURE SPOTLIGHT

Public Health Preparedness and Response

20

Safety and Quality: Key Components of a Laboratory System

21 Improving Safety and Quality through Biorisk Management

7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1000 Bethesda, MD 20814 Phone: 240.485.2745 Fax: 240.485.2700 info @ aphl. org aphl. org

The Association of Public Health Laboratories( APHL) works to strengthen laboratory systems serving the public’ s health in the US and globally. APHL’ s member laboratories protect the public’ s health by monitoring and detecting infectious and foodborne diseases; environmental contaminants; biological, chemical and radiological agents; genetic disorders in newborns; and other health

threats.

LAB MATTERS STAFF

Gynene Sullivan, MA Editor

Brittany Robertson Art Director

David Fouse Advisor

To submit an article for consideration, contact Gynene Sullivan at gynene. sullivan @ aphl. org.

24 30

2025 – 2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Scott Shone, PhD, HCLD( ABB) President

Sharon Massingale, PhD, HCLD / CC( ABB) President-elect

Environmental Health

22 Wastewater Surveillance: Signs of Success for a New System

24 Confronting Workforce Challenges in Environmental Health

Food Safety

25 Strengthening Surveillance: A Training Model for the Next Generation of PulseNet Laboratory Experts

26 The Culture Club: Inside the NERLC

Global Health

27 Assessing Workforce Competencies in Kenya and Zambia

Infectious Diseases

28 The Rapid Closure— and Reinstatement— of Two CDC Laboratories

Informatics

30 Building the Foundation for Public Health Data Modernization

32 AIMS: Keeping Pace with a Changing Digital Health Ecosystem

Projects in this publication were supported by Cooperative Agreements # NU2GGH002365, NU2GGH002485, NU2GGH002494, NU2HGH000112, NU2HGH00032, NU2HGH00080, NU2RGH001917, NU38PW000005, NU3HCK000003, NU47CD000001 and NU60OE000104 funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention( CDC); U18FD007046 and U2FFD008200 funded by the US Food & Drug Administration( FDA); and U22MC24078 funded by the Health Resources & Services Administration( HRSA). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC, FDA, HRSA, the US Department of Health and Human Services or the US Government.

Godfred Masinde, PhD, MBA, HCLD( ABB) Secretary-Treasurer

Michael Pentella PhD, D( ABMM) Public Health Institutional State Representative

Marie-Claire Rowlinson, PhD, D( ABMM) Public Health Institutional State Representative

Anthony Tran, ​ DrPH, PhD, MPH, D( ABMM), MT( ASCP) Public Health Institutional State Representative

Luke Short, PhD, HCLD( ABB) Public Health Institutional Local Member Representative​

Leslie Wolf, PhD, HCLD( ABB) Public Health Institutional Local Member Representative

Pamela Higgins, PhD Public Health Associate Institutional Member Representative

Megan Crumpler, PhD Past President

Scott Becker, MS Ex Officio, Chief Executive Officer, APHL