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Magnitude of Disease Impact Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) is a group of closely related and very important pathogens, infecting a quarter of the world’s population; New York State ranks 3rd in the nation for highest number of cases, approximately 800 new cases diagnosed per year.

In commemoration of the organization’s twentieth anniversary, the Hunter’s Hope Foundation presented Wadsworth Center’s Dr. Orsini and Duke University School of Medicine’s Dr. Kurtzberg with the Legacy of Hope Award. Co-recipients in the area of science and medicine were recognized for their contributions to newborn screening and the work of the organization during the 2018 Hunter’s Hope Family and Medical Symposium.

Merck's ILÚM Health Solutions Will Invest up to $48 Million and Create up to 115 New Jobs Over Five Years    

This brings the number of disorders, for which every child in New York State may be screened, to more than 50. Fact Sheets for the three new disorders:

We are seeking an outstanding scientist at the Assistant or Associate Professor level to establish a competitive, grant-funded research program. Research areas of specific interest include studies on basic biological processes in bacteria, and mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance. Applicants employing innovative, cutting-edge techniques to these areas are especially encouraged to apply.

Governor Cuomo Announces New Public-Private Research Collaboration to Advance Diagnosis and Treatment of Tick-Borne Diseases

Why A just-released CDC report concluded that disease caused by tick, mosquito and flea bites more than tripled in the US between 2004 and 2016, and that 9 new diseases were either discovered or detected here for the first time during that same period.West Nile virus - just one example

After receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this fall, Dr. Joachim Frank recently returned, engaging local scientists. Watch the video of Dr. Frank's presentation.   Read the Times Union article about the event.

Times Union article about Dr. Joachim Frank, Nobel laureate and former Wadsworth Center research scientist.

Wadsworth Center's Virology Laboratory contributes results of influenza type/subtype identification as well as antiviral resistance testing to the Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report compiled by the New York State Department of Health. 

What can this tool do for me? It can tell you which labs perform a certain test, the name of the labs and where they are located. You can find tests performed within a given category for each approved lab and which sample type those tests can be performed on. Explore the new laboratory developed test search tool.

A new algorithm for cystic fibrosis screening is in place for specimens received and tested as of December 1, 2017.  These changes will reduce the number of CF referrals requiring follow-up testing.

2017 marks the first year the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has sponsored fellows in the Antimicrobial Resistance Track.Per the sponsors, “The fellowship’s mission is to introduce scientists to public health laboratory science while building the workforce needed to detect and respond to existing and emerging forms of [antibiotic resistance] AR.”

Dr. Susan Wong, Director of the Diagnostic Immunology Laboratory at the Wadsworth Center, recently traveled with a team from Columbia University’s Global Health Program to serve as a resource for evaluating laboratory testing issues.

Groundbreaking work performed in Albany leads to revolution in science and medicineDr. Rajendra Agrawal has long expected his former Wadsworth Center colleague Dr. Joachim Frank to win the Nobel Prize. This year, it happened.On October 4th, Dr. Frank was named one of three winners of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Dr. Frank shares the prize with Drs. Richard Henderson of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England and Jacques Dubochet from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Laboratory and follow-up staff (those who communicate results to the medical community) from six states (MA, OH, TN, TX, VA and WA) attended a two and a half-day workshop in Albany co-sponsored by the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and the New York State Department of Health. Training was provided by the experts at the Wadsworth Center as well as four expert guest speakers. Participants received hands-on technical training for Pompe disease, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) and mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I), including:

Dr. Kirsten St. George, Chief of the Laboratory of Viral Diseases at Wadsworth Center, was recently invited to speak at a technical workshop hosted by the Trust for Science Technology and Research of Puerto Rico, the Brain Trust for Tropical Diseases Research & Prevention, and the CDC Dengue Branch.

For the second year in a row, a Wadsworth Center director has received the Harry Hannon Laboratory Improvement Award in Newborn Screening from the Assocation of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). Joseph Orsini, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Newborn Screening Program at the New York State Department of Health's Wadsworth Center, received the award at the APHL Newborn Screening and Genetic Testing Symposium in New Orleans. Last year, the award was presented to the Director of the Program, Michele Caggana, Sc.D., FACMG.

New York State Department of Health Press Release October 4, 2017

On August 16, 2017 Wadsworth Center’s Master of Science in Laboratory Sciences (MLS) Program graduates its fourth class. One component of Wadsworth Center’s mission is education. The work of this year’s three graduates links the MLS Program to the Center’s primary mission: public health.