13: Efficient Liquid Handling Critical in Responding to Surge Events

Denise Bolton (New Hampshire PHL) and Carol Loring (INTEGRA Biosciences) bring their public health expertise to this podcast’s discussion on how we can be better prepared for the next pandemic by using what we’ve learned from the last one.

Timestamps:
[5:00] - Liquid handling of COVID-19 samples before and after rapid instruments were employed
[6:45] - INTEGRA's rapid instruments built to avoid repetitive strain injury
[11:49] - Challenges in handling Monkeypox virus samples at public health lab
[12:40] - Responding to outbreaks with rapid testing and instrumentation
[15:28] - Be prepared, as there's no time in an emergency situation to research new equipment

Biographies:

Carol Loring
Known for her expertise in optimizing laboratory workflow and overcoming bottlenecks, Carol Loring is a Field Applications Specialist with INTEGRA Biosciences where she collaborates with internal and external partners to resolve lab automation challenges, build relationships, extend learning, and achieve success in accelerating science.

Ms Loring's experience as a laboratory supervisor honed her skills in molecular diagnostics and disease surveillance, laboratory quality assurance, biosafety, and staff development. She previously served on the Influenza and Respiratory Viruses Subcommittee at the Association of Public Health Laboratories, and as a consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has performed Laboratory Assessments in Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka and Maldives. For two years Ms. Loring served as a quality assurance Mentor for the National Influenza Laboratory of Mozambique. In her free time, Ms Loring enjoys hiking the trails and summitting the peaks of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Denise Bolton
Denise is a technical supervisor at the NH Public Health Laboratories, overseeing the Emergency Response Rapid methods testing (LRN) and Arbovirus surveillance.

Denise graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1983 with a degree in Microbiology. She began her career in Public Health right out of college, working for the NH Department of Health & Human Services for the last 39 years, mostly in the lab.  While at the PHL, she has been involved in some very interesting work, including the onset of West Nile virus in the US in 2000; the Influenza H1N1 pandemic; an anthrax incident involving a drumming circle; a drug-diversion case that resulted in a Hepatitis C outbreak; preparation for the 2014 (Zaire) Ebola outbreak and the recent (Sudan) Ebola outbreak; the Zika virus outbreak; and of course, the COVID pandemic.

Denise is married and has 4 grown children and 4 granddaughters.  She is planning to retire this spring and hopes to spend more time with all of them.  Her hobbies include hiking, photography, reading, and baking