Massachusetts State Laboratory Institute
The State Laboratory Institute (SLI) is located in Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts, a town adjoining Boston. It constitutes the laboratory arm of the Massachusetts Department of Public health and performs testing related to public health, investigates infectious disease outbreaks, and is a level B laboratory in the National Laboratory Response Network (BIDMC is a Level A laboratory). In this capacity, it participates with the CDC in detection and identification of highly pathogenic organisms known as select agents. It also serves at the TB reference laboratory for Partners in Health. In addition, it integrates with other public health laboratories through PulseNet to identify outbreaks across the country through use of a database of molecular organism profiles.
A four to five week rotation at the SLI will expose fellows to public health microbiology and familiarize them with diagnostic techniques unique to that setting. Laboratory rotations will include the mycobacteriology laboratory (where susceptibility, molecular and biochemical testing not performed at BIDMC will be learned), enteric lab (where they will be introduced to strain typing and associated outbreak surveillance methodology), and specialized virology laboratories (e.g. arboviral detection). In addition, fellows will be introduced to our state’s Bioterrorism Response Laboratory, take the course in methods used by level A laboratories to rule out select agents, and become familiar with a variety of methods used in public health disease surveillance. The rotation is typically scheduled in the summer months when arboviral investigations and mosquito surveillance is most active. Fellows will participate in these activities including learning how field studies are performed.
Rotation Director: Nicolas Epie, PhD; Director, State Public Health Laboratory
A four to five week rotation at the SLI will expose fellows to public health microbiology and familiarize them with diagnostic techniques unique to that setting. Laboratory rotations will include the mycobacteriology laboratory (where susceptibility, molecular and biochemical testing not performed at BIDMC will be learned), enteric lab (where they will be introduced to strain typing and associated outbreak surveillance methodology), and specialized virology laboratories (e.g. arboviral detection). In addition, fellows will be introduced to our state’s Bioterrorism Response Laboratory, take the course in methods used by level A laboratories to rule out select agents, and become familiar with a variety of methods used in public health disease surveillance. The rotation is typically scheduled in the summer months when arboviral investigations and mosquito surveillance is most active. Fellows will participate in these activities including learning how field studies are performed.
Rotation Director: Nicolas Epie, PhD; Director, State Public Health Laboratory