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Bryan C. Duffy, Ph.D.

Bryan C. Duffy, Ph.D.

Clinical and Forensic Toxicology
Medical Marijuana Laboratory
Ph.D., U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1999)
(518) 474-3674

Research Interests

Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) Program Safety

The Wadsworth Center Medical Marijuana Laboratory tests approved cannabis products within New York State for regulatory label claim of cannabinoid potency and monitors for the presence of contamination and unapproved ingredients.  The laboratory also assists in the investigation of adverse events, complaints, and claims of product contamination or adulteration.  Instrumentation and staff within the laboratory have the ability to find fungal mycotoxins, pesticides, new psychoactive substances, and contaminants of concern.  Expert staff within the laboratory also provide technical consultation to the Office of Cannabis Management.

Analysis of products associated with E-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) illness cases continues to be a focus of the laboratory.  The EVALI illness outbreak began in mid-2019 and is believed to be related to the presence of one or more additives used in underground cannabis vape manufacturing.  Although a single formal cause has not been established, the laboratory continues to monitor vape fluids associated with illness for the presence of new and potentially harmful additives.

DLQC Toxicology

The Division of Laboratory Quality Certification is the division of the Wadsworth Center that carries out regulatory functions including the oversight of commercial clinical and forensic toxicology laboratories permitted under the Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP).  These important clinical laboratories identify substances involved in overdoses, monitor patient compliance with Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) or pain management programs, and perform workplace drug testing.  The review of “Laboratory Developed Test” methods (LDTs), on-site laboratory inspections, and technical assistance with the investigation of complaints are some ways that I assist the Clinical and Forensic Toxicology programs.

Select Publications

Duffy B, Li L, Lu S, Durocher L, Dittmar M, Delaney-Baldwin E, Panawennage D, LeMaster D, Navarette K, Spink D.
Analysis of Cannabinoid-Containing Fluids in Illicit Vaping Cartridges Recovered from Pulmonary Injury Patients: Identification of Vitamin E Acetate as a Major Diluent.
Toxics.
(2020)
8
(1):
8.
DOI: 10.3390/toxics8010008
Li L, Duffy BC, Durocher LA, Dittmar MA, Acosta RA, Delaney ER, Li L, Aldous KM, Spink DC.
Potency Analysis of Medical Marijuana Products from New York State.
Cannabis Cannabinoid Res.
(2019)
4
(3):
195-203.
DOI: 10.1089/can.2018.0037
Frohlich KM, Weintraub SF, Bell JT, Todd GC, Väre VYP, Schneider R, Kloos ZA, Tabe ES, Cantara WA, Stark CJ, Onwuanaibe UJ, Duffy BC, Basanta-Sanchez M, Kitchen DB, McDonough KA, Agris PF.
Discovery of Small-Molecule Antibiotics against a Unique tRNA-Mediated Regulation of Transcription in Gram-Positive Bacteria.
ChemMedChem.
(2019)
14
(7):
758-769.
DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201800744
Kharenko OA, Patel RG, Brown SD, Calosing C, White A, Lakshminarasimhan D, Suto RK, Duffy BC, Kitchen DB, McLure KG, Hansen HC, van der Horst EH, Young PR.
Design and Characterization of Novel Covalent Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal Domain (BET) Inhibitors Targeting a Methionine.
J Med Chem.
(2018)
61
(18):
8202-8211.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00666