COLUMNS

2 President ’ s & CEO ’ s Message

3 Building a Career in Public Health Laboratory Science

4 Career Pathways and Serendipity Intersect at San Mateo Laboratory

6

FROM THE BENCH

6 Massachusetts Successfully Completes Laboratory System Improvement Program Assessment

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INDUSTRY MATTERS

8 Harnessing the Power of the Research Bench for Public Health Action

9 Empowering Public Health Laboratories : The Benefits of Automation in Molecular Diagnostic Testing

FEATURE

10 Laboratory-developed Tests : An Uncertain Path

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 , terrorist agents , genetic disorders in newborns and other diverse

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 .

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Environmental Health

18 The Need to Act Now on Mercury Testing

19 Partnerships Yield New LRN-B Protocol for Testing Waterborne Pathogens

Global Health

20 APHL Leads Collaboration to Strengthen Data Exchange in Uganda

21 Kakuma Ammusait Refugee Camp Laboratory Achieves ISO 15189:2022 Accreditation

APHL PROGRAMS

Infectious Diseases

24 Expanding Access to Legionella Testing with the Legionella Reference Center

26 CDPHE Welcomes APHL Members to New Training Laboratory Space for MAC-ELISA Course

Informatics

27 Detor : APHL ’ s National Public Health ETOR Solution Now in Production

Public Health Preparedness and Response

28 Addressing Priority Training Needs for Biosafety Professionals

29 Readiness to Detect and Respond to Mpox

Quality Systems and Analytics

30 Generational Shifts in Public Health Laboratories

32 Strengthening Public Health Laboratory Workforces : The Retention Scorecard

2024 – 2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Megan Crumpler , PhD , HCLD ( ABB ) President

Scott Shone , PhD , HCLD ( ABB ) President-elect

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

Sharon Massingale , PhD , HCLD / CC ( ABB ) Public Health Institutional State Representative

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

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

Pamela Higgins , PhD Public Health Associate Institutional Member Representative​ Deborah Severson , BSMT ( ASCP ) Public Health Institutional Local Member Representative​

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

Timothy Southern , MS , PhD , D ( ABMM ) Past President

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

The production of this publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement # NU60OE000104 , funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of , nor an endorsement by , CDC , HHS or the US Government .