Arthur H. Totten, PhD, F(CCM), D(ABMM)
Dr. Totten is Deputy Chief of the Laboratory of Viral Diseases (LVD) and Director of the General Virology Laboratory (GVL) at the Wadsworth Center. The GVL is responsible for clinical, reference and surveillance testing for viruses and the investigation of outbreaks and emerging viral pathogens. Testing within the laboratory uses both viral isolation in cell culture and molecular detection techniques, including specialty methods for virus characterization.
Dr. Totten has previously been a co-investigator or primary investigator on studies with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the National Institutes of Health. Prior work focused on virology, mycoplasmology, immunology and molecular microbiology. Within the GVL he oversees diagnostic and surveillance testing, and research projects within the scope of virology.
Dr. Totten has more than 10 years of experience with laboratory regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and routine laboratory testing. He is a council member for the New York City Chapter of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), as well as an active member of the CPEP Validation Sub-committee for ASM. Dr. Totten is passionate about scientific community outreach and engagement, and was awarded a Centers for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) Program certification for didactic teaching in 2015. He has been involved in training undergraduate, graduate, medical and post-doctoral researchers and published numerous research manuscripts and book chapters. He is the recipient of the 2020 NIH Clinical Center CEO’s Award for clinical work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence. His current research interests include the elucidation of novel viral pathogens, viral genomics, and the development of novel diagnostics for clinical implementation.
Professional Certifications:
Diplomat of the American Board of Medical Microbiology (D(ABMM), 2022)
Fellow of the Canadian College of Microbiology (F(CCM), 2024)