Philip Wegner and Pa Vang from the WI Division of Public Health TB Program flank Dr. Dave Warshauer, who’s holding his Ed Desmond TB Laboratorian of the Year award.
Wisconsin TB laboratory scientists are on a streak, receiving the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association (NTCA) Ed Desmond Award two years in a row.
WSLH Communicable Disease Division Deputy Director Dr. Dave Warshauer received his award earlier this month at the NTCA annual conference in Atlanta. Last year WSLH TB Program Coordinator Julie Tans-Kersten received the same award.
The Ed Desmond Laboratorian Award is given for “exemplary service, dedication and leadership of a tuberculosis laboratory professional.” The award is named in honor of Dr. Ed Desmond, a distinguished TB laboratorian who is currently a Research Scientist Supervisor in the Microbial Diseases Laboratory of the California Department of Public Health.
Warshauer was nominated for the award both by colleagues nationally and in Wisconsin.
The national Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) nomination cited Warshauer’s multiple terms as chair of their TB subcommittee, authorship on nearly all of APHL’s TB-related publications, trainer at APHL’s regional TB training sessions, and leadership on incorporating new testing technologies and assuring the quality of current ones in TB laboratories nationwide.
Warshauer’s colleagues in the Wisconsin Division of Public Health (WDPH)’s Tuberculosis Program also commended his work with APHL and the impact it has on TB public health laboratory science, practice and policy – now and in the future.
Focusing on Wisconsin, the WDPH nomination praised Warshauer as a scientist and a manager.
From the WDPH nomination:
“Dave has built the Wisconsin public health mycobacteriology laboratory into a superb laboratory, serving as a reference lab for many others, and acting as a hub for Wisconsin laboratory services, data, and education provided to private, clinical and other public health laboratories throughout the state. …
“Dave is not a one-man show; he encourages growth and expertise among his staff, and many of them also are nationally known in their areas of expertise. Development of new tests, validation of existing ones, and meticulous quality control are strong features of his laboratories. His close collaboration with state and local public health agencies ensures that joint guidance for appropriate testing and interpretation of results is always available, whether on an emergent basis for an unknown entity, or when providing routine testing. …
“Through these significant time commitments and exchanges of knowledge, Dave has contributed to the control, prevention and elimination of tuberculosis in Wisconsin and nationally.”
Congratulations Dr. Warshauer!
Story by: Jan Klawitter, WSLH Public Affairs Manager (submitted photo)