Lab Matters Summer 2025 | Page 10

CAREER PATHWAYS

By Edgar Kopp, MS, MT( AAB), supervisor, Molecular Virology, Florida Department of Public Health Bureau of Public Health Laboratories— Tampa; Darrel Gibson, Jr., fellow, Florida Department of Public Health Bureau of Public Health Laboratories— Tampa; and Peyton Merriman, fellow, Florida Department of Public Health Bureau of Public Health Laboratories— Tampa

Fellows Darrell Gibson Jr. and Peyton Merriman. Photo: Peyton Merriman.

The Career Pathways in Public Health Laboratory Science: an APHL-CDC Initiative has proven to be a valuable avenue to provide aspiring public health professionals with diverse, practical experience in a laboratory setting. Students enrolled in academic programs can get a first taste of public health laboratories through the Internship Program, while graduates can take on their own projects and pursue professional development opportunities through the Fellowship Program. In recent years, some scientists have advanced directly into the fellowship program after completing their internships, and this has provided a unique opportunity for fellows and mentors alike. To better understand the path these scientists took, and the benefits found in this route, we share the perspectives of two current fellows who transitioned from interns, Darrell Gibson Jr. and Peyton Merriman, and their mentor, Ed Kopp.

Darrell Gibson, Jr.

Florida Bureau of Health Public Health Laboratories— Tampa

I attended the University of South Florida pursuing a bachelor’ s degree in cell and molecular biology, and was enrolled in a Master’ s in Public Health program when I discovered APHL’ s Career Pathways program. While pursuing my studies, I had also been working at a major cancer center and was interested in gaining experience at a public health laboratory to fulfill requirements towards my MPH. When my supervisors informed me about the APHL internship, it was a perfect fit: I could be paid while completing a degree requirement, meaning I wouldn’ t need to balance schoolwork with employment. Instead, I could gain more immersive experience in public health. I was particularly attracted to this opportunity as the laboratory was already hosting interns and fellows, so I would have their experience and connections to look to as I got deeper into the internship. As my internship was ending and with graduation near, I discussed the option of transitioning to the fellowship with my mentor, and some aspects made this option especially attractive. Through the fellowship, I would be able to gain more in-depth experience in Virology, I liked the laboratory’ s staff and how they work together, I could learn more about infectious diseases, and I could attain more professional development through conferences and other opportunities afforded to fellows.

Peyton Merriman

Florida Bureau of Health Public Health Laboratories— Tampa

I attended the University of South Florida working towards a bachelor’ s degree in chemistry. A supervisor at the public health laboratory contacted my principal investigator to spread awareness about the Career Pathways program, and this piqued my curiosity. Since I already had practical laboratory experience as an undergraduate while researching malaria, I realized that the internship would allow me to learn more about public health and how infectious diseases are addressed through public health laboratory testing and was excited to learn more about the testing of infectious agents— in particular, how molecular and antibody diagnostic tests work in practice. As the end of my internship approached, I heard of the fellowship opportunities from previous fellows and APHL’ s documentation and was drawn to the opportunity of gaining broader experience across the entire public health laboratory and its place in the greater public health world as well as the chance to get more hands-on experience and work more independently.

Ed Kopp, MS, MT( AAB)

Supervisor, Molecular Virology

Florida Bureau of Health Public Health Laboratories— Tampa

Peyton and Darrell look back on their internship fondly and recall the opportunities and skills they gained from it. They were able to talk to fellows while still interning themselves, allowing them to have the right expectations of what the fellowship would entail. They gained foundational laboratory skills as well as soft skills, which allowed them to be more comfortable in the laboratory, know what is expected, be more familiar and work well with other scientists, and be more acclimated to the public health laboratory environment. Training received as interns further developed their skills and, through experience, honed their professional communication skills as well as their knowledge of workplace etiquette. The internship’ s laboratory opportunities were narrowly focused but allowed them to get an awareness of other parts of the laboratory and what might be of interest to them as fellows.

Transitioning from intern to fellow came with some additional benefits. Initiating the fellowship contract and the onboarding process took less time than usual, giving them more time to grow additional skills and experience other parts of the laboratory. Their work

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