Bitten by the public health bug: How I found my lab niche

Lab Culture

The people who work in public health laboratories make a difference in your community daily. In this third episode, members of the Emerging Leader Program cohort 10 sit down with their peers to hear how their public health laboratory careers have made an impact.

ELP cohort 10 members featured in this episode:

• Dana White has been working in the public health lab for 16 years and is now the state training coordinator at the Mississippi Public Health Lab.
• Dr.Ona Adair has been working in the public health lab for nine years and is now the Chemistry Division director at the South Carolina Public Health Laboratory.
• Dr. Harmeet Kaur worked in the Placer County Public Health Laboratory for four years and is currently a LabAspire Assistant Director Fellow.
• Kristen Durie has been working in the public health lab for six years and is now the chemistry quality assurance manager at the New York State Food Laboratory.
• Matt Bradke has been working in the public health lab for 16 years and is now the chemical terrorism laboratory supervisor at the Arkansas Public Health Laboratory.

Interviewees:

• Degina Booker has been working in the public health lab for 40 years and is now the administrative services director for the Mississippi Public Health Lab.
• Dr. Burton Wilcke, Jr., now retired, has worked in public health laboratories for over 35 years in Vermont, Michigan and California. Dr. Wilcke remains active in the public health laboratory community as a member of both the APHL Workforce Development Committee and the Global Health Committee.
• Dr. Musau WaKabongo, now retired, was the Public Health Laboratory Director at the Placer County Public Health Laboratory and has worked in several public health laboratories in California for 13 years.
• Dr. Maria Ishida has been working in public health for 11 years and is now the director of the New York State Food Laboratory.

Are you thinking about a career in a public health laboratory?

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• APHL Job Center
• Blog posts on workforce and professional development