News

The LabAspire Program is proud to announce our 2009-2010 Awardees and Preceptors
LabAspire was created in the fall of 2006 to recruit and train the next generation of public health laboratory directors and laboratory professionals LabAspire continues to support trainees during the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

The 2009-2010 preceptors:
• Dr. J. Michael Janda, CDPH, Richmond State Laboratory
• Dr. Michael Lewinski, UCLA School of Medicine
• Dr. Gertrude Buehring, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Dr. Sydney Harvey, UCLA School of Public Health

The 2009–2010 trainees:
• Dr. Jennifer Dien Bard, Post-Doctoral Fellow, UCLA School of Medicine
• Dr. Nicole Green, Post-Doctoral Fellow, CDPH, Richmond State Laboratory
• Dr. Romney Humphries, Post-Doctoral Fellow, UCLA School of Medicine
• Dr. Kileen Mershon-Shier, Post-Doctoral Fellow, UCLA School of Medicine
• Dr. Robert Tran, Post-Doctoral Fellow, CDPH, Richmond State Laboratory
• Ms. Samantha Abraham, PhD Student, UCLA School of Public Health
• Ms. Sheila Adams-Sapper, MPH Student, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Ms. Anna Baker, MPH Student, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Ms. Kristina Hsieh, DrPH Student, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Ms. Donna Ferguson, PhD Student, UCLA School of Public Health
• Ms. Rachel Rees, DrPH Student, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Ms. Yelena Rivina, PhD Student, UCLA School of Public Health
• Ms. Stephanie Trammell, MPH Student, UC Berkeley School of Public Health

The California Wellness Foundation Supports LabAspire Diversity Goals
In an effort to diversify the pool of applicants for fellowships, post-doctoral positions, and professional laboratory staff appointments, The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) has made a $265,000 grant over three years to UC Davis to fund in part the LabAspire outreach and recruitment program. Created in 1992 as an independent, private foundation, TCWFs mission is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention.

The outreach and recruitment program targets at the undergraduate level biology and microbiology educators throughout California’s public higher education institutions. The program objective is to excite students who enroll in these courses about potential professional laboratory careers in human immunology, pathology, bacteriology and public health.

Our primary objective is to attract students who are well qualified in pre-requisite science courses to enter a public health advanced degree program says Dr. Adela de la Torre, Principal Investigator for the UC Davis outreach program. Dr. de la Torre is an internationally known health economist whose research focuses on the marginalization of underrepresented populations in domestic and global health concerns. Equally important to us is the objective of making sure that the qualified applicant pool reflects California’s rich diversity. Public health laboratories provide a critical function in every community throughout the state. We are very grateful for this generous support from The California Wellness Foundation. We are encouraged that a diverse professional workforce in public health is a high priority for them.

The funding is being used to defray the cost of a full-time outreach and recruitment coordinator, an appointment held by Francisco Michel, whose career in public health began in 1987. Michel holds an M.A. degree in Education from Stanford University and a B.A. degree in Latin American Studies and Language Studies from UC Santa Cruz. Mr. Michel’s most recent appointment was as Program Consultant at the Tobacco Control Section at the California Department of Public Health. His previous experience includes managing a training unit at the Michigan Department of Public Health and conducting outreach for the Office of Financial Aid at the University of Michigan.

The plan is to recruit students over the next three years through the formation of regional networks throughout the state, attracting qualified students to pursue training toward state certification as public health microbiologists. The program is also recruiting for doctoral degree candidates in public health microbiology to pursue their degree at accredited public higher education institutions in California. Additional opportunities include a two-year post-doctoral fellowship and apprenticeship positions as assistant directors in California county public health laboratories. With fellowships and apprenticeships for qualified candidates funded by the state, this post-baccalaureate pipeline is designed to help the state reduce the shortage of qualified individuals who will eventually assume public health laboratory director positions.

To date, UCLA and UC Berkeley are the host campuses for the doctoral degree programs, says Linda Whent, PhD, LabAspire Outreach and Recruitment Program Director. But students who plan to enroll in doctoral degree programs in public health at other public campuses are eligible to apply, as long as their program includes the educational prerequisites they need to move into public health laboratory management-level positions. Dr. de la Torre explains that LabAspire was created to fill the gap in preparedness for public health laboratory director positions. Currently of the 38 public health laboratory directors throughout California, only five meet new national requirements. The remaining directors have been ‘grandfathered in’ via a federal waiver or are filled by regional, interim, acting or part-time directors. Dr. de la Torre also explains that many directors are at or nearing retirement age. We anticipate 16-20 vacancies to occur over the next three years. Under new federal mandates, the State of California is no longer able to fill these vacancies under a waiver but must appoint certified individuals. The absence of a director means the potential closure of a public health laboratory, and with only 38 labs serving a population of more than 33 million, California cannot afford to lose a single laboratory.

Dr. Bonita Sorensen Recognizes LabAspire Program Awardees at 2007 CAPHLD Mid-Year Meeting

LabAspire Announces Program 2008-2009 Awardees and Preceptors
LabAspire was created in the fall of 2006 to recruit and train the next generation of public health laboratory directors and laboratory personnel. Public Health Laboratories in California are looking for individuals who love science and believe in community service. LabAspire continues to support training programs during the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

The 2008-2009 preceptors are:
• Dr. Sue Sabet, Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory
• Dr. Sally Liska, San Francisco County Public Health Laboratory Director
• Dr. David Yong, Sonoma County Public Health Laboratory Director
• Dr. J. Michael Janda, CDPH, Richmond State Laboratory
• Dr. Michael Lewinski, UCLA School of Medicine
• Dr. Gertrude Buehring, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Dr. Sydney Harvey, UCLA School of Public Health

The 2008–2009 trainees are:
• Dr. Musau Wakabongo, Los Angeles County Assistant Laboratory Director
• Dr. Mark Pandori, San Francisco County Assistant Laboratory Director
• Dr. Julie Carr, Sonoma County Assistant Laboratory Director
• Dr. Nicole Green, Post-Doctoral Fellow, CDPH, Richmond State Laboratory
• Dr. Robert Tran, Post-Doctoral Fellow, CDPH, Richmond State Laboratory
• Dr. Jennifer Dien Bard, Post-Doctoral Fellow, UCLA School of Medicine
• Dr. Kileen Mershon, Post-Doctoral Fellow, UCLA School of Medicine
• Ms. Rachel Rees, Doctoral Student, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Ms. Kristina Hsieh, Doctoral Student, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Ms. Donna Ferguson, Doctoral Student, UCLA School of Public Health
• Ms. Yelena Rivina, Doctoral Student, UCLA School of Public Health
• Ms. Samantha Abraham, Doctoral Student, UCLA School of Public Health
• Mr. Ryan Chen, MPH Student, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Ms. Stephanie Tramel, MPH Student, UC Berkeley School of Public Health