School of Health Professions

Seminar Title: When Microbes Make the News: Exploring Recent U.S. Outbreaks

Description: When infectious disease outbreaks make national headlines, laboratory professionals are often on the front lines of detection. Explore the pathogens responsible for recent U.S. outbreaks, the factors driving their spread, and the public health agencies working to identify and contain these emerging threats.

Objectives:

1. Describe the organisms associated with several recent infectious disease outbreaks in the U.S.
2. Discuss the epidemiological factors that contributed to the emergence, transmission, and spread of recent outbreaks.
3. Evaluate the role of regulatory agencies in the surveillance, detection, and response to infectious disease outbreaks.

Level of presentation: Intermediate

Seminar Title: From Sickle to Solution: The Changing Face of Sickle Cell Disease

Description: This presentation will explore Sickle Cell Disease, from its pathophysiology and laboratory detection to recent advancements in treatment.

Objectives:

1. Explain the pathophysiology of Sickle Cell Disease.
2. Compare traditional and emerging laboratory methods for detecting and diagnosing Sickle Cell Disease.
3. Discuss current and emerging treatment strategies and functional cure for Sickle Cell Disease.

Level of presentation: Basic

Seminar Title: The Hospital as an Ecosystem: Foundations of Environmental Infection Prevention

Description: This seminar introduces the healthcare environment as a dynamic ecosystem influencing infection transmission. Participants will explore how water, air, surfaces, equipment, people, and infrastructure create microbial reservoirs and transmission pathways, while examining foundational principles of environmental infection prevention, risk assessment, and the laboratory's role in identifying environmental threats.

Objectives:

1. Describe how the healthcare built environment can serve as reservoirs and pathways for pathogen transmission.
2. Identify key environmental factors that increase healthcare-associated infection risk and fundamental mitigation strategies.
3. Explain the clinical microbiology laboratory's role in recognizing, investigating, and preventing environmentally associated infections and outbreaks.

Level of presentation: Basic

Seminar Title: The XK Files: Investigating McLeod Syndrome and Acanthocytosis

Description: This presentation serves as a clinical and laboratory guide to managing McLeod syndrome, a rare, X-linked genetic disorder that results in weakened expression of Kell antigens on red blood cells. Content presented here will make connections between initial hematological microscopic identification and blood bank serological troubleshooting, ensuring safe transfusion support and definitive diagnosis.

Objectives:

1. Differentiate acanthocytes from echinocytes and other poikilocytes.
2. Correlate the absence of the Kx erythrocyte antigen with the weakened expression of Kell blood group antigens.
3. Troubleshoot common blood banking discrepancies and serological anomalies encountered with the McLeod phenotype.

Level of presentation: Intermediate

Seminar Title: The Case of the Black Bone: Uncovering Ochronosis in the Clinical Laboratory

Description: Black bone disease (ochronosis) is a rare condition characterized by dark pigmentation of connective tissues, cartilage, and bone. This presentation explores the pathophysiology, laboratory diagnosis, and clinical significance of ochronosis, with emphasis on alkaptonuria and minocycline-induced pigmentation.

Objectives:

1. Describe the pathophysiology of ochronosis.
2. Differentiate alkaptonuria and minocycline-induced pigmentation.
3. Identify laboratory approaches for diagnosis and evaluation.

Level of presentation: Intermediate

Seminar Title: Clinical Toxicology in the Laboratory

Description: This presentation reviews the medical laboratory professional's role in clinical toxicology, with emphasis on specimen selection, analytical methods, and interpretation of toxicology results. Common toxic exposures, drugs of abuse, and analytical limitations will be discussed.

Objectives:

1. Explain key toxicokinetic principles and correlate common toxic exposures with clinical and laboratory findings.
2. Compare commonly used toxicology testing methods.
3. Interpret toxicology results by integrating specimen type, collection timing, analytical methodology, potential interferences, and clinical context.

Level of presentation: Basic

Seminar Title: Thrombosis: Wrong Clot, Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Description: Thrombosis, inappropriate clot formation within blood vessels, can have serious clinical consequences including death. Laboratory professionals play a critical role in diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of thrombotic events. Early recognition and treatment of thromboses significantly improves outcomes.

Objectives:

1. Describe thrombosis and the mechanisms that promote thrombus formation.
2. Recognize major clinical consequences of thrombosis.
3. Discuss the laboratory evaluation of thrombotic disorders.
4. Describe current approaches to prevention and treatment of thromboses.

Level of presentation: Intermediate