Kimberlee A. Musser, Ph.D.

Dr. Musser is the Clinical Director of the Wadsworth Center’s David Axelrod Institute which includes the Infectious Disease Laboratories: Bacteriology, Biodefense, Bloodborne Virus, Diagnostic Immunology, Mycobacteriology, Mycology, Parasitology and Virology, as well as the Newborn Screening Program. She is also the center’s Chief of Bacterial Diseases overseeing reference identification of bacteria, bacterial meningitis testing, Legionella, tickborne bacterial testing, foodborne bacteriology, mycobacteriology, and antimicrobial resistance testing. 

Under her leadership, her team at Wadsworth Center has developed and validated dozens of bacterial and mycobacterial laboratory-developed tests including real-time PCR assays, MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry, pyrosequencing and most recently next generation sequencing (NGS) methods including whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and targeted NGS for both clinical and surveillance testing. Notably, Wadsworth was the first public health laboratory in the nation to utilize WGS clinically for TB and to utilize WGS to investigate a large outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. The lab continues to expand WGS use for foodborne bacteria, Legionella, healthcare-associated, vaccine preventable and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as well as for prospective and retrospective investigations of outbreaks. New studies incorporating the use of long read next generation sequencing (NGS), direct specimen NGS and automated bioinformatic analysis are also in progress.

Dr. Musser frequently shares her experience shepherding new tests from research, development, and validation through regulatory approval. She has given over 50 invited seminars at local, national, and international meetings and has published more than 90 peer-reviewed articles.. She was an ASM Distinguished Lecturer from 2020-2022. Dr. Musser has also served on numerous national committees including as Chair of the APHL Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Workgroup, as a member of the APHL Workforce Development Committee, and as a member of the APHL Annual Conference Planning Committee. She is currently as the Chair of the APHL TB Subcommittee and a member of the APHL Infectious Diseases Committee.

Awards and Honors

• 2018 Commissioner’s Recognition Award, NYSDOH (Public Health Impact-Legionella)  

• 2017 APHL Gold Standard Award

• 2012 National TB Controller Association, Ed Desmond Laboratorian Award

• 2011 Pangborn Award, Wadsworth Center

• 2011 Commissioner’s Recognition Award, NYSDOH (Pertussis Outbreak Team)

• 2002 Commissioner’s Recognition Award, NYSDOH (Bioterrorism Response Team)

• 1999 Commissioner’s Recognition Award, NYSDOH (E.coli Outbreak Team)