APHL’s Top 10 Stories of 2021

As we come to the end of 2021, we wanted to look back at a year of stories that reflect the work of our members, partners and staff. It was another year largely focused on the COVID-19 pandemic response, which brought frustration and exhaustion that should not be ignored; but it also brought progress and successes that should be celebrated. This list of APHL’s Top 10 Stories of 2021 reflects a few examples of the invaluable work performed at public health laboratories around the nation this year. It is just a small sampling of the stories we shared this year, so please also subscribe to Lab Matters (our magazine), Lab Culture (our podcast) and our blog for more.

1. Detecting, Sequencing and Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 Virus Variants (April 2021, APHL Blog)
2. Building a Culture of Inclusion in Public Health Laboratories (Spring 2021, Lab Matters)
3. Ep. 26: How two New Jersey lab scientists launched an unprecedented prenatal lead and mercury screening program (October 2021, Lab Culture podcast)
4. Q&A with Dr. Ren Salerno, Director of the Division of Laboratory Systems at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (January 2021, APHL Blog)
5. The Role for NGS-based Technologies in a Post-pandemic World (Summer 2021, Lab Matters)
6. Bringing COVID-19 exposure notification to the public health community (July 2021, APHL Blog)
7. Ep. 24: In pursuit of diversity, equity and inclusion in the public health laboratory (March 2021, Lab Culture podcast)
8. Securing Public Health Data in the Age of COVID-19 (Winter 2021, Lab Matters)
9. The Convergence of the Opioid Crisis and COVID-19: A Silent Epidemic, Overshadowed (September 2021, APHL Blog)
10. One mom says the day of newborn screening “was the worst day of my life, but the best day for my son.” (November 2021, APHL Blog)