Wadsworth Center received the 2025 APHL Award for Excellence in Applied Research on Infectious Diseases, recognizing outstanding contributions to the field of infectious disease laboratory research, with a particular focus on public health laboratory impact. The award acknowledges the important work of public health laboratorians that bridges scientific discovery and innovation with practical application.
This award is given to an APHL member who has made significant contributions to the technical advancement of public health laboratory science and/or practice in the area of infectious diseases and who has published their findings in the last 24 months prior to nomination. Awards include co-authors of the paper. This paper was also the first journal club paper for the public health community to be reviewed on the first journal club “Pathogen Papers” meeting.
This paper represents a highly collaborative project evaluating whole genome sequencing and susceptibility testing over a two-year period. The published algorithm has resulted in faster turnaround times and decreased cost while maintaining comprehensive antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of all culture-positive MTBC cases in New York.
The award is shared with members of the Wadsworth Center Bacterial Disease Laboratory, the Wadsworth Center Cores: AGTC and Bioinformatics, the New York City’s Public Health Laboratory and NYS and NYC TB Control epidemiologists.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex whole-genome sequencing in New York State: Implementation of a reduced phenotypic drug susceptibility testing algorithm. Joseph Shea, Tanya A. Halse, Herns Modestib, Cheryl Kearns, Randal C. Fowler, Cherry-Ann Da Costa-Carter, Ulrike Siemetzki-Kapoor, Melissa Leisner, Pascal Lapierre, Donna Kohlerschmidt, Marie-Claire Rowlinson, Vincent Escuyer, Kimberlee A. Musser
Pictured: Donna Kohlerschmidt, Melissa Leisner, Vincent Escuyer, Joseph Shea, Kimberlee A. Musser
Not pictured: Tanya A. Halse, Herns Modestil, Cheryl Kearns, Randal C. Fowler, Cherry-Ann Da Costa-Carter, Ulrike Siemetzki-Kapoor, Pascal Lapierre, Marie-Claire Rowlinson