Linda Styer
Print
BACK TO SENIOR STAFF

Linda Styer, PhD

Title
Director, Bloodborne Viruses Laboratory
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Integrated Health Sciences, University at Albany
Education
PhD, University of California, Davis, CA (2003)
Postdoctoral training: New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center
Phone Number
(518) 473-6007

Dr. Linda Styer earned a doctoral degree in medical entomology and a masters degree in epidemiology from the University of California, Davis.  In 2003, she joined the Wadsworth Center, first as a post-doctoral scientist in the Arbovirology Laboratory, and then as a Research Scientist in the Bloodborne Viruses Laboratory.  

The Bloodborne Viruses laboratory serves as the public health reference laboratory for human immunodeficiency (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing in New York State.  Dr. Styer’s research interests include the development of new molecular diagnostic tests for the detection, quantification, or characterization of bloodborne viruses and the evaluation of FDA approved diagnostic tests and diagnostic testing algorithms.  

Recently completed studies include the development and validation of a real time PCR assay to detect and quantify HIV-2 RNA in patient plasma, an analysis of HIV testing algorithms, and an evaluation of the accuracy of several FDA approved rapid HIV tests.  

Future research projects will focus on developing a HIV-2 DNA assay to confirm HIV-2 infection and ultra sensitive methods to detect and quantify HIV-2 RNA.

Select Publications
Damjanovic AK, Keyel A, Rock JM, Ehrbar D, Bievenue R, Nemeth KL, Yauney E, Kay DM, Caggana M, Parker MM, Styer LM. Longitudinal analysis of passively and actively acquired SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in infants with repeat newborn screening samples. Sci Rep. 2025; Jul 4;15 (1): 23881. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-09140-6
Pubmed Web Address
Demmer RT, Wu C, Kim JS, Sun Y, Balte P, Cushman M, Boyle R, Tracy RP, Styer LM, Bell TD, Anderson MR, Allen NB, Schreiner PJ, Bowler R, Schwartz DA, Lee JS, Xanthakis V, Rock JM, Bievenue R, Pirzada A, Doyle M, Regan EA, Make BJ, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Wenzel SE, Coresh J, Isasi CR, Raffield LM, Elkind MSV, Howard VJ, Ortega VE, Woodruff P, Cole SA, Henderson JM, Mantis NJ, Oelsner EC. Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Nucleocapsid Antibody Response Among Previously Infected US Adults: The C4R Study. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025; Mar 20;12 (3): ofaf123. DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf123
Pubmed Web Address
DeRosa KL, Pisanic N, Kruczynski K, Heaney CD, Styer LM, Mantis NJ. Inter-laboratory harmonization of microsphere immunoassays for SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection in contrived dried blood spots and oral fluids. Microbiol Spectr. 2025; Mar 25;13 (5): e0269024. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02690-24
Pubmed Web Address
Berman K, Van Slyke G, Novak H, Rock JM, Bievenue R, Damjanovic AK, DeRosa KL, Mirabile G, Phipps K, Machowski J, Bialosuknia S, Giradin RC, Dupuis AP, Payne AF, Lee WT, McDonough KA, Parker MM, Styer LM, Mantis NJ. Quantitating SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from human dried blood spots. Microbiol Spectr. 2024; Oct 29;12 (12): e0084624. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00846-24
Pubmed Web Address
O'Grady TJ, Kaufman S, Stolz A, Styer LM, Haskin L, Suresh P, Ryman NL, Shah D, Sullivan TJ, Torian L, Gonzalez C, Parker MM, Swain CA. Late Identification of Perinatal Transmission of HIV in an Infant at High Risk. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2024; ep-Oct 01;30 (5): 653-656. DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001976
Pubmed Web Address
Kim JS, Sun Y, Balte P, Cushman M, Boyle R, Tracy RP, Styer LM, Bell TD, Anderson MR, Allen NB, Schreiner PJ, Bowler RP, Schwartz DA, Lee JS, Xanthakis V, Doyle MF, Regan EA, Make BJ, Kanaya AM, Wenzel SE, Coresh J, Isasi CR, Raffield LM, Elkind MSV, Howard VJ, Ortega VE, Woodruff P, Cole SA, Henderson JM, Mantis NJ, Parker MM, Demmer RT, Oelsner EC. Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Spike 1 Antibody Response Among Vaccinated US Adults: the C4R Study. Nat Commun. 2024; Feb 19;15 (1): 1492. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45468-9
Pubmed Web Address
Nemeth, KL, E Yauney, JM Rock, R Bievenue, MM Parker, LM Styer. Use of self-collected dried blood spots and a multiplex microsphere immunoassay to measure IgG antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines. Microbiology Spectrum. 2023; 11 (1): e01336-22. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01336-22
Pubmed Web Address
Styer LM, Miller TT, Parker MM. Validation and clinical use of a sensitive HIV-2 viral load assay that uses a whole virus internal control. Journal of Clinical Virology. 2013; 58 (suppl 1): E127-E133.
Pubmed Web Address
Styer LM, Sullivan TJ, Parker MM. Evaluation of an alternative supplemental testing strategy for HIV diagnosis by retrospective analysis of clinical HIV testing data. Journal of Clinical Virology. 2011; 52 (Suppl 1): S35-S40.
Pubmed Web Address