Skip to main content

Don't miss APHL 2026 Annual Conference!

Registration is still open to join us in Baltimore May 4-7

Register Today

Analysis. Answers. Action.

Welcome to APHL

The Association of Public Health Laboratories proudly works to strengthen laboratory systems serving the public's health; our activities support laboratories in the US and around the world.  Learn more about APHL.
View Latest:
Providing Analysis:

Recent Stories

APHL publishes a range of technical and standing publications to inform public health laboratory scientists and their partners. Publications include a magazine, news blog and multiple newsletters; recent articles includes:

Lab Culture News article
06.05.25
Honoring World Food Safety Day: How Science Keeps You Safe
By Amy Bryant, specialist, Food Safety, APHL; Kirsten Larson, senior program manager, Food Safety, APHL; and Robyn Randolph, program manager, Food Safety, APHL Foodborne illness is preventable. However, according to the US Centers for Disease Control...
Food Safety, Infectious Diseases
Lab Culture News article
11.24.25
Today and Every Day—Thank You Public Health Professionals!
On the Monday before Thanksgiving, APHL, along with Research!America and other leading public health organizations, celebrates Public Health Thank You Day. And in a year when we've had many challenges, our thank you couldn’t be louder and more heartfelt!
Training and Professional Development, Workforce Development
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Mapping a Path to Laboratory Surveillance in Bangladesh
In 2024, APHL began work with CDC and the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to implement a laboratory mapping initiative. The project focused on developing a mapping tool to obtain data on the national public health laboratory system.
APHL, Disease Surveillance, Laboratory Operations and Systems
Lab Culture News article
01.06.26
How the Decentralization of Mpox Testing Led to Faster Patient Care in Kenya
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Not long ago, patients in Kenya being tested for mpox had their laboratory samples sent to the country’s National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL). On average, NPHL is 250 miles from the regional...
Global Health
Lab Culture News article
04.23.25
Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Eric Vaughn
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL In celebration of Lab Week 2025, we put a handful of laboratory scientists under the microscope, peppering them with questions that shine a light on their professional and personal lives. What were...
Lab Culture News article
12.08.25
APHL Convenes Newborn Whole Genome Sequencing Initiative, Ensuring Public Health Laboratory Input
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Can whole genome sequencing  (WGS) be integrated into the existing newborn screening system in a way that’s practical, responsible and beneficial for families? That’s what a new initiative, known...
Newborn Screening and Genetics
Lab Culture News article
11.10.25
How Can a Radiochemistry Certificate Enhance Your Career? Your Laboratory? Your Community? Recent Graduates Share Their Insights
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL The first cohort of 12 students recently graduated from the University of Iowa (UI) Radiochemistry Graduate Certificate Program. The program was developed and launched with financial and technical...
Environmental Health
Lab Culture News article
05.06.25
Public Health Has a Marketing Problem: APHL 2025 Keynote Speaker Addresses How to Fix It
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL “Visibility isn’t vanity. Talking about the value of public health is crucial to the survival of our field and our nation.” Those were some of the opening remarks of Brian Castrucci, DrPH,...
Lab Culture News article
05.07.25
APHL Honors 2025 Annual Award Winners
For Immediate Release Portland, Oregon, May 7, 2025 – The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is pleased to announce the winners of its annual awards for outstanding achievements in laboratory science, creative approaches to solving...
Lab Culture News article
02.03.26
Celebrating 30 Years of PulseNet: How It Detects Disease—and Saves Lives
In celebration of PulseNet's milestone birthday, we rounded up stories we’ve published illustrating the tremendous impact the network’s had on disease surveillance and outbreak detection.
Food Safety, Foodborne Disease
Lab Culture News article
12.15.25
2025 in Review: Our Top Stories of the Year
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL It’s been an undeniably difficult year for public health. But despite it all, public health laboratories have continued to protect both domestic and global health by skillfully detecting disease...
Lab Culture News article
01.13.26
APHL’s New Website Launches Soon. Here Are 5 Things We’re Excited About!
APHL’s new website (our first redesign in 10 years!) launches in just a few short weeks. What exciting changes are in store?
Quality Systems and Analytics, Quality and Safety Systems
Lab Culture News article
07.22.25
One of Mankind’s Oldest Diseases Is Still a Threat: What Public Health Labs Are Doing to Detect and Respond to Rabies 
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Every year, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some 100,000 Americans receive medical care following potential exposure to rabies, a virus transmitted to humans, their...
Infectious Diseases
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
From Training to Trust: How PulseNet International Is Strengthening Foodborne Disease Surveillance
PulseNet International plays a crucial role in strengthening global capacity for genomic surveillance of antimicrobial resistant enteric pathogens through a robust program of training and collaboration activities.
Food Safety, Food Testing, Genomics and Sequencing, Chemistry, Antimicrobial Resistance
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Quality, Safety, Traceability: Protecting the Food Supply for US Consumers
Public health laboratories play an increasingly critical role in protecting food safety through testing innovations and collaborations that can help detect foodborne threats to US consumers and stop outbreaks before they start.
Policy, Food Testing, Policies and Regulations
Lab Culture News article
03.17.26
In 2023, a Growing—and Deadly—Outbreak of Listeria Was Reported in Washington State. How PulseNet Helped Lead Investigators to the Cause
In the first few months of 2023, six people in Washington State were sickened with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono), which can be found in food, water, soil and animals. Three people ultimately died from infection with the bacteria,
Food Safety, General, Food Testing, Foodborne Disease, Genomics and Sequencing
Lab Culture News article
05.08.25
2025 APHL Annual Conference — Day 3
Today was exciting and energizing! Attendees started the day with the sunrise walk and the annual awards breakfast. Find the complete list of award winners here — congratulations to all! Check out more highlights from the final full day of the 2025...
Lab Culture News article
06.18.25
What Happens When Food Makes You Sick? The Crucial Role of Public Health Laboratories
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL You’re on a road trip and stop at a fast-food restaurant for a quick meal—and wake up later that night with nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea. You’re so sick, you go to the emergency room. As...
Food Safety
Lab Culture News article
01.28.26
Measles 2025: A Retrospective on a Record-Breaking Year
Infectious Diseases, Environmental Monitoring
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
CEO's Message: The Nature of Partnerships
A message from APHL CEO Scott Becker on the importance of laboratory partnerships.
General
Lab Culture News article
11.17.25
A Multistate Outbreak of Infant Botulism Has Been Linked to Baby Formula: What We Know So Far—and How Laboratories Are Responding 
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Federal, state and local partners, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of  Public Health (CDPH) Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention...
Food Safety
Lab Culture News article
08.15.25
Wastewater-Based Surveillance Serves as Early Warning System in Mozambique
By Britnae Purdy, associate specialist, Global Health, APHL Mozambique is a country with exquisite natural beauty. Light blue skies, deep blue ocean. Behind the occasional palm tree, the horizon stretches far. From the view, one could be forgiven for...
Global Health
Lab Culture News article
11.17.25
The Exciting Promise of Wastewater-Based Surveillance: An Ongoing Pilot Program in Tanzania Is Showing Potential
By Britnae Purdy, associate specialist, Global Health Implementation of a wastewater-based surveillance (WWBS) pilot project in Tanzania began in 2023 under the direction of the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), with support and collaboration...
Global Health
Lab Culture News article
03.02.26
This Year’s Flu Season Has Largely Been Driven by a New Subclade. How Public Health Laboratories Have Responded
What’s behind this active flu season? Experts point to the emergence of a new variant of influenza A(H3N2) known as subclade K.
Infectious Diseases, General, Viruses, Respiratory Diseases
Lab Culture News article
09.23.25
Malaria is Rare in the US—but Recent Cases Have Public Health Officials Taking Notice
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Within a matter of weeks this summer, two individuals on opposite coasts tested positive for malaria. While the disease—typically transmitted by the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito—is...
Infectious Diseases
Lab Culture News article
03.24.26
World Tuberculosis Day Is March 24: 6 Questions for a 20-Year Veteran of TB Testing
In recognition of World Tuberculosis Day, we sat down with Kimberlee Musser, PhD, chief of bacterial disease, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health (NYDOH), and asked her six questions about tackling this ancient disease in a modern world.
Infectious Diseases, Tuberculosis
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
75 Years of Membership
Reflecting on changes in APHL's membership over its 75-year history.
General, APHL
Lab Culture News article
09.01.25
5th Annual QIAGEN-sponsored Microbe Masterpieces & Chemistry Creations Art Contest
​Get out those art supplies because it’s almost time to unleash your creativity! This Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month in September, you can enter the 5th Annual QIAGEN-sponsored Microbe Masterpieces & Chemistry Creations Art Contest!...
Lab Culture News article
12.01.25
Lab Culture ep. 35: Oregon's One Health approach to Yersinia enterocolitica case
How did a baby become ill with Yersinia enterocolitica, bacteria most often found in pork, when no contaminated food was found in the home? In this episode of Lab Culture, Dr. Karim Morey, a microbiologist with the Oregon State Public Health...
Food Safety
Lab Culture News article
03.30.26
How One State’s Public Health Laboratory Is Using Biomonitoring to Protect Kids
Due to their small stature, developing systems and normal play behaviors, young children are particularly vulnerable to the health hazards caused by the heavy metals and toxic chemicals found in some consumer products and the environment.
Environmental Health, Environmental Exposures, Environmental Monitoring
Lab Culture News article
09.02.25
Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Kristina Hsieh
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Last spring, in celebration of Lab Week, we published a series of profiles highlighting the lives and work of public health laboratory professionals around the country. Lab professionals excitedly...
Lab Culture News article
08.06.25
From Report to Recall: Meet the Professionals Behind a Foodborne Illness Investigation
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL There’s no shortage of ways food can get contaminated. It can happen during the growing stage, while food is still in the soil. It can happen during production, slaughter or distribution. It can...
Food Safety
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
APHL and FDA Partner on Cronobacter Detection Training
In September 2025, APHL partnered with FDA to deliver a first-of-its-kind, in-person laboratory training on detecting Cronobacter spp. in powdered infant formula.
Food Safety, Training, Food Testing, Foodborne Disease
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
President's Message: Reflections on a Milestone
A message from APHL President Scott Shone on how far APHL has come in 75 years.
General
Lab Culture News article
05.19.25
Contamination Chronicles: How Laboratory Scientists Cracked Three Unusual Food Safety Cases
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL What do raw milk, raw pet food and a drug-laced chicken sandwich have in common? They were all subjects of the “Contamination Chronicles” session at APHL’s 2025 Annual Conference held in Portland,...
Food Safety
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Training Yields Readiness: Lessons Learned from a North Dakota Radiation Response
As a member of the LRN-C, the North Dakota Public Health Laboratory has a strong operational foundation for emergency response. Its relationships with its public health partners proved invaluable during a recent radiation exposure incident.
Public Health Preparedness and Response, Biosafety and Biosecurity, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Laboratory Operations and Systems
Lab Culture News article
10.03.25
6 Public Health Laboratories in 6 States Share Stories of ELC Funding Impact
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL The Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Program provides cross-cutting, disease-specific funding support for the nation’s public health laboratories through the US Centers for Disease...
Infectious Diseases
Lab Culture News article
10.17.25
Iconic 2025 Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month: Art Contest Winners and Celebration Wrap-up
Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Public Health Laboratory Appreciation Month absolutely iconic! We enjoyed seeing pictures from your photo booths and hearing about your celebrations. Public health laboratories often exist in the background...
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Strengthening Foodborne Outbreak Response With CIFOR in Kentucky
APHL partnered with the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) and the Tennessee Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence to host a CIFOR Toolkit workshop designed to refine foodborne outbreak response across multiple KDPH program areas.
Training and Professional Development, Training, Workforce Development, Foodborne Disease
Lab Culture News article
10.09.25
3 Moms Share Their Experiences with Newborn Screening—and the Life-Changing Impact It’s Had on Their Families
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Three mothers took the stage at the 2025 APHL Newborn Screening Symposium, sharing stories about how newborn screening—or the lack of it, in one case—changed their lives forever. The symposium,...
Newborn Screening and Genetics
Lab Culture News article
09.02.25
Detor at One Year: From Implementation to Growing Impact 
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Last August, Detor, an APHL-developed intermediary solution that links a hospital’s electronic health records (EHR) system with a public health laboratory’s information management system, made its...
Informatics
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
The Results Are In! Data Modernization at Public Health Laboratories Is a Work in Progress
APHL's Data Modernization Subcommittee launched in January 2025 and sought to understand where public health laboratories are in their data modernization journeys. A nationwide survey of informatics personnel revealed challenges and opportunities.
Quality Systems and Analytics, Quality and Safety Systems, Laboratory Operations and Systems, Knowledge Management, Data Management
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Managing Sustainable Public Health Data Exchange at the National Level
The pandemic taught that rapid scale-up in response to emergencies is only sustainable when paired with a platform that can agilely connect public health systems and healthcare providers across the country. Enter the AIMS Platform.
APHL, Data Management, Knowledge Management, Laboratory Operations and Systems, Quality and Safety Systems
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
APHL Committee Instrumental in Enhancements to FDA Food Chemistry Data Review Protocols
APHL advisory committees being a powerful conduit for change was illustrated in 2025 through the Human and Animal Food Committee’s successful effort to streamline processes for state food chemistry data.
Policy, Data Management, Policies and Regulations
Lab Matters article
Fall 2025
Ensuring Quality, Safety and Efficiency in the Public Health Laboratory
How can laboratories maintain quality assurance, quality control and general laboratory safety, as well as biosafety and biosecurity, in the era of machine diagnostics and aAI? How are laboratorians protecting themselves from unintended exposures?
Quality Systems and Analytics, Biosafety and Biosecurity, Quality and Safety Systems
Lab Culture News article
11.13.25
When the World’s Global Health System Is Strong, so Is America
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that, thus far in 2025, some 100 disease outbreaks have been identified in 66 countries, most in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Near East. The diseases—from...
Global Health
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Why Public Health Emergency Preparedness Funding Matters for Public Health Laboratories
Public health laboratories are a foundational component of the nation’s public health emergency preparedness and response system. PHEP cooperative agreement funding plays a critical role in sustaining and strengthening their capacity.
Training and Professional Development, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Laboratory Operations and Systems
Lab Culture News article
09.15.25
Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Hannah Mims
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Last spring, in celebration of Lab Week, we published a series of profiles highlighting the lives and work of public health laboratory professionals around the country. Lab professionals excitedly...
Lab Culture News article
09.10.25
Fentanyl is Being Laced With a New Deadly Substance. How One State Laboratory is Responding
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Last July, the Minnesota Department of Health issued a health advisory to the public after noting an increase in overdoses associated with nonopioids like xylazine and, increasingly, medetomidine....
Environmental Health
Lab Culture News article
05.06.25
2025 APHL Annual Conference — Day 1
The 2025 APHL Annual Conference kicked off today in Portland, Oregon! One key highlight of the day was the Dr. Katherine Kelley Distinguished Lecture delivered by Dr. Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. His presentation...
Lab Culture News article
05.23.25
4 Public Health Laboratory Professionals Answer 4 Questions About APHL’s Twinning Initiative
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Four public health laboratory directors convened a session at APHL’s 2025 Annual Conference held in Portland, Oregon, May 5-8 to discuss their experiences twinning with public health labs...
Global Health
Lab Culture News article
04.16.25
Wildfire Season Is Off to an Early and Deadly Start. How State and Local Agencies Analyze the Dangerous Pollutants in Wildfire Smoke
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Earth Day Is April 22 Wildfire season typically runs from spring to fall, but this year it’s coming in hot. In the first few months of 2025 alone, nearly 17,400 wildfires have scorched roughly...
Environmental Health
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Equity, Accuracy and Stewardship: Rethinking Vaginitis Diagnosis for Women Everywhere
Vaginitis remains a leading cause of gynecologic-related primary care visits in the United States, yet the approach to diagnosis and treatment continues to present significant challenges for clinicians and public health professionals.
General, Antimicrobial Resistance
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Rapid Detection and Sequencing of Influenza A in Agricultural Samples: Lessons From Cambodia and Why It Matters for US Food Security
While zoonotic transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A virus to humans in the US has been limited, recent epidemiological trends in Cambodia underscore how quickly zoonotic risks can escalate.
APHL, Genomics and Sequencing, Foodborne Disease, Viruses
Lab Culture News article
05.21.25
What You Need to Know About Oropouche—and What Laboratories Are Doing to Track Cases
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Oropouche is an emerging virus most often transmitted by the bite of an infected midge—a tiny fly also known as a no-see-um. The virus can also be spread by certain types of mosquitoes, although...
Infectious Diseases
Lab Culture News article
05.28.25
How Next Generation Sequencing Is Revolutionizing Food Safety 
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Last year, 113 people across 23 states were sickened with Salmonella Typhimurium after eating cucumbers. Another 61 people from 19 states developed Listeria monocytogenes after eating Boar’s Head...
Food Safety, Infectious Diseases
Lab Culture News article
06.24.25
How One Scientist Committed to Helping Shape the Next Generation of Public Health Laboratory Professionals  
Ori Roe, a research scientist I at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, is an APHL Public Health Laboratory ambassador and one of the developers of Toxic Crusaders, a curriculum for California high school students.
Environmental Health, Career Development
Lab Culture News article
09.22.25
Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Jean Rock
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Last spring, in celebration of Lab Week, we published a series of profiles highlighting the lives and work of public health laboratory professionals around the country. Lab professionals excitedly...
Lab Culture News article
04.22.25
Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Ashlee Hubert
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL In celebration of Lab Week 2025, we put a handful of laboratory scientists under the microscope, peppering them with questions that shine a light on their professional and personal lives. What were...
Lab Culture News article
05.13.25
Preparing for Emerging Infectious Diseases: Creating a Recipe for Success
By Erin Estes, specialist, Infectious Diseases, APHL This is part of a series about topics presented during APHL ID Lab Con 2025, a forum to discuss the latest developments on the detection and characterization of infectious diseases of public health...
Infectious Diseases
Lab Culture News article
04.25.25
Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Jason Wholehan
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL In celebration of Lab Week 2025, we put a handful of laboratory scientists under the microscope, peppering them with questions that shine a light on their professional and personal lives. What were...
Lab Culture News article
12.09.25
Why Are Bagged Greens So Frequently Recalled? And Should You Eat Them?
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL You can’t beat products like bagged salad kits and cut-and-washed greens for their convenience. Just put everything into a bowl, place it on the table and voila—you have a vitamin-packed dish ready...
Food Safety
Lab Matters article
Summer 2025
Retention Drives Innovation: Making the Case for Public Health Laboratory Workforce Support
The infusion of American Rescue Plan funding into public health laboratory workforce initiatives was transformative. As the funding ended, however, member laboratories set their sights on recruitment and retention—with the assistance of APHL.
Policy, Workforce Development, Advocacy
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
When Systems Fail: Building Resilient Laboratory Informatics Through Comprehensive COOP Planning
As public health laboratories become increasingly dependent on digital infrastructure, comprehensive COOP planning has evolved from a recommended practice to an essential requirement for maintaining critical public health services when systems fail.
Public Health Preparedness and Response, Quality and Safety Systems, Laboratory Operations and Systems, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Data Management
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
The NGS Quality Initiative Peer Network: Improving Sequencing Quality through Information Sharing and Collaboration
The APHL-CDC NGS Quality Initiative Peer Network was established to improve next generation sequencing (NGS) quality management activities and to promote greater collaboration and expansion of sequencing capabilities in public health laboratories.
APHL, Quality and Safety Systems, Mycology, Knowledge Management, Genomics and Sequencing
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Member Profile: Georgia Department of Agriculture Laboratory
The Georgia Department of Agriculture Laboratory, comprised of an Atlanta branch and a Tifton branch, houses eight unique laboratory sections ranging from food safety microbiology to fuel and oil that cover all 159 counties in the state.
General
Lab Culture News article
04.21.25
Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Michael Stevenson
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL In celebration of Lab Week 2025, we put a handful of laboratory scientists under the microscope, peppering them with questions that shine a light on their professional and personal lives. What were...
Lab Culture News article
09.08.25
Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Julie Viruez
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Last spring, in celebration of Lab Week, we published a series of profiles highlighting the lives and work of public health laboratory professionals around the country. Lab professionals excitedly...
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
National Institute of Health Launches Biosafety Modernization Initiative
In September 2025, the NIH launched the Biosafety Modernization Initiative, an effort to modernize biosafety policies and practices. APHL Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee members share perspectives on how the initiative affects public health labs.
General, Biosafety and Biosecurity, Emergency Preparedness and Response
Lab Culture News article
11.20.25
2025 APHL-CDC Scholarship Recipients/HOSA Students Discuss What Excites Them About Laboratory Science
 By Hailey Reiss, specialist, Academic Partnerships, APHL For the second year in a row, Career Pathways in Public Health Laboratory Science: An APHL-CDC Initiative funded $2,000 scholarships for 10 students interested in pursuing careers in...
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Vermont Laboratory Discovers What a Difference a Fellow Can Make
The Vermont Department of Health Public Health Laboratory hosted its first Career Pathways in Public Health Laboratory Science fellow and things went better than they could have hoped.
APHL, Fellowships, Career Development
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
The Intersection of Public Health and One Health
One Health is a concept with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes for humans, animals, plants and the environment. From a public health perspective, One Health infuses the majority, if not all, of what laboratories do.
Quality Systems and Analytics, Advocacy, Laboratory Operations and Systems, Career Development, Workforce Development, Quality and Safety Systems
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Member Profile: Maryland Department of Health Laboratories Administration
The Maryland Department of Health Laboratories Administration, the oldest continuous operating unit in the Maryland Department of Health, provides objective and unaffiliated information to medical professionals, public health partners and others.
General, APHL
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Beyond the Smoke: Emergency Coordination and Environmental Testing Response to the 2025 Los Angeles Fires
During the devastating wildfires that swept through Los Angeles in January 2025, the role of interagency environmental testing was paramount. Coordinated measurements demonstrated an optimized model for public health laboratory response.
Public Health Preparedness and Response, Environmental Exposures, Environmental Monitoring
Lab Culture News article
05.12.25
Lab Culture ep. 34: "We need to be obnoxiously positive and share how awesome we are."
At the 2025 APHL Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, APHL’s current board president, president-elect and CEO sat down for a conversation about the challenges and successes of the past year. APHL President Dr. Megan Crumpler (director, Orange...
Training and Professional Development, General, Workforce Development
Lab Culture News article
04.24.25
Lab Scientists Under the Microscope: Meet Suzanne Stanton
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL In celebration of Lab Week 2025, we put a handful of laboratory scientists under the microscope, peppering them with questions that shine a light on their professional and personal lives. What were...
Lab Culture News article
05.07.25
2025 APHL Annual Conference — Day 2
It was another great day at the 2025 APHL Annual Conference! From the Innovate! Sessions to the rapid poster presentations to the APHL Bark Park, the second day of the conference was anything but boring.</p> ...
Lab Culture News article
10.14.25
Newborn Screening Symposium Keynote Speakers Stress Messaging, Resilience 
By Donna Campisano, specialist, Communications, APHL Telling stories that increase public health’s visibility and practicing mental fitness were two themes that ran through the 2025 APHL Newborn Screening Symposium keynote address. The symposium was...
Newborn Screening and Genetics
Lab Matters article
Winter 2025
The Next Pandemic: How Public Health Laboratories Are Improving Readiness and Response
The Next Pandemic: How Public Health Laboratories Are Improving Readiness and Response
Public Health Preparedness and Response, Infectious Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Laboratory Operations and Systems
Lab Culture News article
04.07.26
Public Health Laboratory Work May Be Invisible—but It’s Also Indispensable: Perspective From a Public Health Laboratory Professional
Some of the most important returns in public health are written in the things that never got worse. It is important to communicate that to the public.
General, Advocacy
Lab Culture News article
06.30.25
3 Ways AIMS Helps Patients Like You
By Melanie Kourbage, lead specialist, Informatics, APHL Timely laboratory test results can mean the difference between life and death. That’s why the APHL Informatics Messaging Services (AIMS) Platform is a critical piece of the nation’s public...
Informatics
Lab Matters article
Spring 2026
Public Health Laboratory Ambassadors Engage Students Across the Country in 2025
The APHL Public Health Laboratory Ambassadors Program has sought to connect public health laboratory professionals with students and local community members to share the value of public health laboratory careers.
General, APHL, Career Development, Outreach, Workforce Development
Lab Culture News article
02.18.26
APHL Is 75! We Take a Look Back—and Forward—With the Organization’s Longest-Tenured Employee
APHL is turning 75, and Carol Clark, the organization’s chief operating officer, has been with the organization for 29 of those years—years when APHL’s mission and membership have grown by leaps and bounds.
General, APHL
Lab Culture News article
03.19.26
How Public Health Laboratories and Federal Partners Uncovered a Multistate Outbreak of Dangerous Salmonella Infections
Between November 2025 and January 2026, seven people in seven states (as of this writing) became ill with an extensively drug-resistant strain of Salmonella Newport. All the illnesses were traced to certain lots of Rosabella-brand moringa powder.
Food Safety, General, Food Testing, Foodborne Disease, Genomics and Sequencing, Antimicrobial Resistance
View All

Recent Training Resources

APHL offers a range of training resources, such as live and recorded webinars, on-demand courses, and other educational materials, guides and tools.
Training
03.11.26
APHL Webinar: Fundamentals of Biosafety and Biosecurity Slides
APHL presented fundamentals of biosafety and biosecurity at a January 2016 webinar. The slides from the presenters (Michael Pentella and Andrew Cannons).
Training and Professional Development, Workforce Development
Training
03.12.26
Life of a Result
This eLearning course picks up where "Life of a Specime" leaves off and explores laboratory informatics by following a result as it moves through the laboratory and is communicated back to external partners.
Informatics, Data Management
Training
03.10.26
Public Health Interoperability Training Catalog
The Public Health Interoperability Training Catalog is a curated set of training and education resources, tools, presentations and publications on public health and interoperability
Informatics, Data Management
Training
03.11.26
Introduction to Laboratory Informatics: Life of a Specimen
This course explores laboratory informatics by following a specimen as it moves through the laboratory and testing workflow. Topics include informatics personnel, data relationships, data quality and standards, and the generation and flow of information.
Informatics, Data Management
Training
03.13.26
Introduction to the LIMS and Other Information Systems
This course provides an overview of the LIMS and other information systems that play a key role in laboratory informatics. Topics include LIMS functionality, interoperability, regulations and standards, and LIMS implementation.
Informatics, Data Management
Training
03.17.26
Laboratory Ethics and Data Integrity Presentation
Narrated Training and Quiz on Laboratory Ethics and Data Integrity by the Houston Health Department for non-commercial use by Public Health Departments
Quality and Safety Systems
Training
03.13.26
Pertussis Diagnostics: What’s all the Whoop about?
We will explore the rising incidence of pertussis, caused by Bordetella pertussis and the multifaceted public health response required to address this trend.
Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases
View All
Join Us

Upcoming Events

APHL sponsors major conferences on newborn screening, infectious diseases, food safety and more, as well as smaller meetings and webinars.

View our Event Calendar

May
04
2026
APHL 2026 Annual Conference
Baltimore, MD
The APHL Annual Conference brings together leaders, scientists, influencers and partners of the public health laboratory community to share issues, trends and best practices driving laboratory science and public health today.
Sep
01
2026
Laboratory Response Network for Biological Threats (LRN-B) Technical Meeting
San Antonio, TX
The LRN-B Technical Meeting is a combination of science, policy, networking and partnerships with a focus on innovation, technologies and strengthening relationships within the network.
Scientist pouring liquid from bottle to beaker
our goal:
Bringing together the institution & the individual
Become a Member
we thank our corporate members:
Abbott Laboratories Logo
Bio-Rad Laboratories Logo
Cepheid Logo
HOLOGIC Logo
Qiagen Inc. Logo
Revvity Logo
Roche Diagnostics Corporation Logo
Ruvos Logo
Thermo Fisher Scientific Logo
bioMérieux Logo
Ceres Nanosciences, Inc. Logo
HDR Inc. Logo
Illumina, Inc. Logo
Promega Logo