Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral!

Ever wonder what a career in Industry entails? What is "Industry"? From engineering and clinical science to regulatory strategy, commercialization, and patient impact, this field sits at the intersection of innovation and healthcare.

As we wrap up 2025, we have an amazing episode with an all-star cast featuring Drs. Ana Maria Cardenas, Kaisha Gonzalez, Erin Graf, and Stephanie Mitchell, where they discuss the different career paths available, their own personal career journeys, how people transition into the industry, and what skills matter most for success.

Registration for the 2026 PASCV Annual Meeting is now open! Program information and registration link is down below:

https://www.pascv.org/page/2026_Annual_Meeting

Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral! Today, we have Dr. Nina Gao, PhD, D(ABMM) interviewing the one and only Dr. Tony Tran, DrPH, MPH, D(ABMM), MT(ASCP). Dr. Tran is the current Director of the State Public Health Laboratory and Deputy Director of the Center for Laboratory Sciences at the California Department of Public Health. In this episode, we discuss his personal journey into Public Health, what keeps him inspired and motivated, the impact Public Health makes to the greater community, and different pathways to a career in Public Health.

CDPH Center for Laboratory Sciences:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/cls/Pages/Center-for-Laboratory-Sciences.aspx

CDC PulseNet for genomic surveillance of foodborne, waterborne, One Health-related outbreaks:

https://www.cdc.gov/pulsenet/hcp/about/index.html

APHL Laboratory Internships (for concurrent students):

https://www.aphl.org/Career-Pathways/Internships/Pages/default.aspx

APHL Laboratory Fellowships:

https://www.aphl.org/Career-Pathways/fellowships/Pages/default.aspx

CPEP Fellowships:

https://asm.org/fellowships/cpep

In honor of World Rabies Day (September 28, 2025), we are back with another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral! In today's episode, we have Dr. Rodney Rohde, PhD, MS, SM(ASCP),SV,MB, FACSc, to discuss the often forgotten neglected tropical disease, Rabies. This was a really fun episode, where we delve into disease pathogenesis, epidemiology, treatment and prophylaxis, as well as recognize all of the outstanding work conducted by our colleagues in Public Health!

What is World Rabies Day?

https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-rabies-day

Check out the ContagionLive Podcast:

https://www.contagionlive.com/authors/rodney-e-rohde-phd-sv-sm-mb-ascp-cm-facsc

Some articles by Dr. Rohde:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33659941/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24094260/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16178403/

We are back from our one-month hiatus! In today's episode of PASCV: Gone Viral, Dr. Melissa Gitman, MD, MPH, sits down with three interviewees to discuss the career and life of a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Clinical Microbiology. Gain perspective from an early-career, mid-career, and late-career MLS as they discuss challenges of being an MLS in a ever-growing field of Clinical Microbiology, how they discovered their career as an MLS, and any advice they would give to prospective students who may be interested in a career in Medical Laboratory Science.

Interviewees:

Fatoumata Gary, BS, MLS(ASCP)

Joseph Saverino, BS, MLS(ASCP)

Inna Suhir, BS, MLS(ASCP)

Want more information on ASCP certification?

https://www.ascp.org/

2026 PASCV Annual Meeting is around the corner, check out more information below:

https://www.pascv.org/page/pascv

Special Announcement!

Each quarter, PASCV: Gone Viral will release a special one-hour panel episode with multiple subject-matter experts to discuss cutting edge technologies and practical topics in the world of clinical virology and molecular microbiology.

In today's episode of PASCV: Gone Viral, Dr. Logan Patterson, PhD, D(ABMM), sits down with a panel of experts to talk about how flexible, customizable molecular panels are changing the game in infectious disease testing. From faster results to more targeted diagnostics, these tools are helping labs and clinicians stay ahead of emerging threats. We dig into how they work, why they matter, and what challenges still need to be addressed.

Panelists:

Dr. Briana Castillo, MD, MS

Nicholas Decker, MBA, MLS(ASCP)

Dr. Heba Mostafa, PhD, MD

Dr. Phyu Thwe, PhD, D(ABMM)

Check out Dr. Mostafa's article from the Journal of Clinical Microbiology:

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.00313-25

Not yet a member, but interested in joining the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology? Check out membership options below!

https://www.pascv.org/page/Membership

... it takes two to make it outta' sight!

In today's episode of PASCV: Gone Viral, we feature Drs. Filipe Cerqueira, PhD, D(ABMM), and Andrea Prinzi, PhD, MPH, SM(ASCP), CPH, where we discuss the importance of industry collaboration with the clinical and public health laboratory, challenges and obstacles with developing a partnership, what an In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) pipeline looks like, and how these entities can help and benefit one another!

Check out the article below:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196439925000121

Dr. Filipe Cerqueira: https://scholars.uab.edu/19277-filipe-cerqueira

Dr. Andrea Prinzi: https://asm.org/biographies/andrea-prinzi

PASCV: Gone Viral LIVE FROM CLEARWATER BEACH!

"I can actually see the beach from the podium..." - Dr. Matthew Binnicker, moments before the hotel staff proceeded to close the back doors, denying him said access to a view of the beach.

It's 2025: why are we facing a measles outbreak?

In this inaugural live episode recording of Gone Viral, we have Dr. Matt Binnicker speaking about the recent resurgence of measles virus within the United States. From historical timelines to data-driven evidence of how perspectives of vaccinations have directly impacted disease prevalence, this session shines light on the sobering reality that measles, a vaccine-preventable disease, is now back in the spotlight.

Access to Dr. Binnicker's slide deck from the meeting:

https://www.pascv.org/resource/collection/C6C9D59F-48B7-4BFE-B535-6ADAB813E33C/3_Binnicker.pptx.pdf

Check out Dr. Binnicker's Bio:

https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/binnicker-matthew-j/bio-20475857

Have you ever heard of congenital CMV? Probably not, but you should!

Back with another episode, we dive into congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV), the most common congenital infection that nobody talks about. This episode is Part II of a two-part series. Your guest host, Dr. Kaisha Gonzalez, is joined by Dr. Megan Pesch, a clinician, researcher, advocate, and mom on a mission who’s here to break down why CMV matters, how it affects newborns, and what we can do to prevent it.

From screening to advocacy to her journey learning American Sign Language, Dr. Pesch shares insights, research, and practical tips for parents and healthcare providers alike. Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation!

Check out Dr. Pesch's Bio:

https://experts.umich.edu/5911-megan-pesch

Website for Congenital and Perinatal Infections Consortium:

https://cpic.rarediseasesnetwork.org/

Website for the 2025 Congenital Cytomegalovirus Public Health & Policy Conference:

https://cmv.usu.edu/

Have you ever heard of congenital CMV? Probably not, but you should!

In this episode of PASCV: Gone Viral, we dive into congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV), the most common congenital infection that nobody talks about. This episode will be Part I of a two-part series. Your guest host, Dr. Kaisha Gonzalez, is joined by Dr. Megan Pesch, a clinician, researcher, advocate, and mom on a mission who’s here to break down why CMV matters, how it affects newborns, and what we can do to prevent it.

From screening to advocacy to her journey learning American Sign Language, Dr. Pesch shares insights, research, and practical tips for parents and healthcare providers alike. Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation!

Check out Dr. Pesch's Bio:

https://experts.umich.edu/5911-megan-pesch

Website for Congenital and Perinatal Infections Consortium:

https://cpic.rarediseasesnetwork.org/

Website for the 2025 Congenital Cytomegalovirus Public Health & Policy Conference:

https://cmv.usu.edu/

"Patience you must have, my young padawan".

In today's episode of PASCV: Gone Viral, we feature Dr. Duane Newton, PhD, D(ABMM), FIDSA. Where we discuss mentorship, whether it be in the clinical laboratory, medical profession, academic promotion, industry, or even personally; what to look for in a mentor, advice on where to start, and how to have an authentic mentor-mentee relationship.

Apologies for the poor sound quality, I apparently recorded the episode through a potato as opposed to my podcasting microphone...

Check out the Dr. Newton's resources and mentorship availability using the link below:

https://dwnconsult.com/

Did you know that there will be a "speed dating" networking event at this year's PASCV Annual Meeting? Additional information below:

https://www.pascv.org/page/pascv

Register up until the date of the meeting (May 8, 2025). Hotel registration is available until April 15, 2025.