PASCV: Gone Viral

Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral!

In today's episode of Gone Viral, our co-hosts Drs. Saina Beitari and Rich Davis dive into two fascinating and obscure viral case studies, made particularly challenging due to the overlap of symptoms and presentations mimicked by more expected diseases.

Interested in this month's 1.0 P.A.C.E.®-accredited webinar? Check below for more information!

https://www.pascv.org/page/webinars2026

Crossing the Species Line: Viral Infections and Diagnostic Challenges in Xenotransplantation

Presented by Dr. Heba Mostafa (Wednesday, September 30, 12-1pm ET)

This episode is brought to you in part by our Season 2 Sponsor, CirrusDX. Purpose driven, a different kind of lab. Check out https://cirrusdx.com/ to check out their infectious disease test activity menu.

Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral!

We return with part 2 of 2 of our tick-borne virus series with our hosts Kaisha & Saina, who are joined by Drs. Ryan Relich, Muhammad Morshed, and Kyle Rodino, as they continue their discussion on various tick-borne diseases, their expanding geographical range, and challenges with diagnostics, surveillance, and clinical impact.

Interested in becoming a member of PASCV?

https://www.pascv.org/general/register_member_type.asp

Check out our Educational Webinar Series (eligible for PACE credits)

https://www.pascv.org/page/webinars2026

This episode is brought to you in part by our Season 2 Sponsor, CirrusDX. Purpose drive, a different kind of lab. Check out https://cirrusdx.com/ to check out their infectious disease test activity menu.

Two episodes in the same month!? Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral, where we are joined by Drs. Nina Gao and Logan Patterson, where we get a nice little primer and sneak preview of this month's PASCV Educational webinar, xenotransplantation! Tune in as Logan gives us a nice overview of what some of the challenges and questions are surrounding xenotransplantation, and Nina shares her own experience encountering a xenotransplant patient at her institution during fellowship.

Interested in this month's 1.0 P.A.C.E.®-accredited webinar? Check below for more information!

https://www.pascv.org/page/webinars2026

Crossing the Species Line: Viral Infections and Diagnostic Challenges in Xenotransplantation

Presented by Dr. Heba Mostafa (Wednesday, September 30, 12-1pm ET)

This episode is brought to you in part by our Season 2 Sponsor, CirrusDX. Purpose driven, a different kind of lab. Check out https://cirrusdx.com/ to check out their infectious disease test activity menu.

Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral!

Today features our quarterly special panel episode! In these episodes, we do a deeper dive into medical and clinical topics with multiple experts in a panel-style discussion.

In this episode, our host Melissa Gitman is joined by Drs. Nancy Law, Andrew Karaba, Zoe Freeman Weiss, and Senu Apewokin, as they discuss all things viral infections in transplant populations, in both stem-cell transplant, as well as solid organ transplant patients.

Interested in this month's 1.0 P.A.C.E.®-accredited webinar? Check below for more information!

https://www.pascv.org/page/webinars2026

Crossing the Species Line: Viral Infections and Diagnostic Challenges in Xenotransplantation

Presented by Dr. Heba Mostafa (Wednesday, September 30, 12-1pm ET)

This episode is brought to you in part by our Season 2 Sponsor, CirrusDX. Purpose driven, a different kind of lab. Check out https://cirrusdx.com/ to check out their infectious disease test activity menu.

Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral!

In this episode, our hosts Kaisha & Saina are joined by Drs. Ryan Relich, Muhammad Morshed, and Kyle Rodino, as they discuss various tick-borne diseases, their expanding geographical range, and challenges with diagnostics, surveillance, and clinical impact. We apologize for any unintentional itching or scratching sensations this episode may elicit!

Interested in becoming a member of PASCV?

https://www.pascv.org/general/register_member_type.asp

This episode is brought to you in part by our Season 2 Sponsor, CirrusDX. Purpose drive, a different kind of lab. Check out https://cirrusdx.com/ to check out their infectious disease test activity menu.

In today's episode of PASCV: Gone Viral, we bring you an inspiring and heartfelt conversation with Kate Clemont and Dr. Lizmar Rivera Nuñez, hosted by Dr. Kaisha Gonzalez. They delve into the challenges and triumphs of recovering from necrotizing fasciitis, an episode illustrating resilience, recovery, and the human spirit's fight to overcome.

Interested in becoming a member of PASCV?

https://www.pascv.org/

This episode is brought to you in part by our Season 2 Sponsor, CirrusDX. Purpose drive, a different kind of lab. Check out https://cirrusdx.com/ to check out their infectious disease test activity menu.

Welcome back to Season 2 of PASCV: Gone Viral!

In this first episode of season 2, we have a live panel discussion from our 2026 PASCV Annual Meeting with Drs. Samantha Giffen, Kara Levinson, and Susan Realegeno, to explore how laboratory networks can best prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. Panelists will discuss the roles and responsibilities of each sector, strategies for leveraging CDC resources and testing capabilities, and the balance between centralized support and local innovation. Through real-world examples and interactive dialogue, the panel discussion will highlight how collaboration, communication, and clear delineation of roles can strengthen the nation's diagnostic readiness and ensure rapid, reliable testing when it matters most!

Interested in becoming a member of PASCV?

https://www.pascv.org/

Save the date - the PASCV Annual Meeting will return May 12-14, 2027!

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

This episode is brought to you in part by our Season 2 Sponsor, CirrusDX. Purpose drive, a different kind of lab. Check out https://cirrusdx.com/ to check out their infectious disease test activity menu.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!

Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral! PASCV officially wraps up it's first full season of the Gone Viral podcast.

In this episode, Ken and Logan share highlights from the most recent 2026 PASCV Annual Meeting, memorable moments from season 1 of Gone Viral, and talk about what to expect in the 2nd season and what the future of PASCV: Gone Viral entails.

Interested in becoming a member of PASCV?

https://www.pascv.org/general/register_member_type.asp?

Interested in getting involved with PASCV?

https://www.pascv.org/page/2025-Committees

Logan Patterson Contact Information:

https://education.musc.edu/muscapps/facultydirectory/Patterson-Logan

Ken Gavina Contact Information:

https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/60670/gavina-kenneth

Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral! In this episode, we pilot a new feature format called, "That's a good test?" In these episodes, speakers will debate the pros and cons of various infectious disease-based tests used in the clinical laboratory and will try to convince you, the listener, whether or not that is a good test.

In this episode, we will be debating and disucussing the Roche cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 Qualitative Assay, and are thrilled to have Dr. Hannah Wang, MD debate from the perspective of "that's a good test!".

All views and opinions expressed in this episode are of our own opinion and do not represent that of our employers or collaborators. The content of this episode is not sponsored.

Register for the PASCV Annual Meeting:

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

Check out the Clinical Microbiolgoy Board Review Course:

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

Welcome back to part two of the PASCV: Gone Viral podcast series about pediatric validations!

On this episode, co-hosts Dr. Kaisha Gonzalez, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM and Dr. Logan Patterson, PhD, D(ABMM) return to talk with the ALL-STAR cast of four pediatric directors:

• Dr. Huanyu Wang, PhD, D(ABMM)special
• Dr. Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD, D(ABMM), FIDSA, FAAM
• Dr. Laura Filkins, PhD, D(ABMM)
• Dr. Morgan Pence, PhD, D(ABMM)

You'll get to hear what each panelist thought was their most challenging validation, their approaches for validating new assays, and the ways that industry and government partners could take to help make the process easier for everyone.

Welcome back to another episode of PASCV: Gone Viral!

In this episode of PASCV: Gone Viral, hosts Dr. Ken Gavina and Dr. Logan Patterson are joined by experts Dr. Francesca Lee from UT Southwestern and Dr. David Gaston from Vanderbilt University Medical Center to discuss the hot topic of diagnostic stewardship. Listeners will learn about the intricacies of stewardship, including value-based testing, balancing clinical performance with patient needs, and the art of maintaining strong relationships with providers.

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

Check out Dr. Filkins' Diagnostic Stewardship article published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology:

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.00941-24

Check out the podcast episode by our friends at "Let's Talk Micro" on Metagenomics and Diagnostic Stewardship:

https://asm.org/podcasts/lets-talk-micro/episodes/metagenomics-in-clinical-microbiology-ltm-218

Link to the Consortium for Clinical Metagenomics in Infectious Diseases:

https://ccmid.org/

Link to the ASM Clin Micro Open:

https://asm.org/clinical-public-health-microbiology/clinmicro-open

The PASCV: Gone Viral podcast is back and ready to start 2026 in a BIG way!

This episode kicks off a two-part series discussing validations for pediatric patients.

On this episode, co-hosts Dr. Kaisha Gonzalez, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM and Dr. Logan Patterson, PhD, D(ABMM) sit down to talk all things pediatrics with an ALL-STAR cast of four pediatric directors:

• Dr. Huanyu Wang, PhD, D(ABMM)special
• Dr. Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD, D(ABMM), FIDSA, FAAM
• Dr. Laura Filkins, PhD, D(ABMM)
• Dr. Morgan Pence, PhD, D(ABMM)

Hear about what makes testing pediatric patients so unique and the challenges labs face when trying to validate assays for this special patient population.

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/