New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center Expert Receives Gold Standard Award From the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)

Dr. Kirsten St. George Awarded APHL's Gold Standard Award for Contributions to Technical Advancement of Public Health Laboratory Science

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 16, 2025) – The New York State Department of Health has announced that Dr. Kirsten St. George, Chief, Laboratory of Viral Diseases for the Wadsworth Center was awarded the Gold Standard Award by the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). The Gold Standard Award is given to an APHL member who makes or has made significant contributions to the technical advancement of public health laboratory science and/or practice.

"Dr. St. George is an invaluable asset to the Department of Health and our world-renowned Wadsworth Center," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "Her leadership and contributions in laboratory sciences continue to strengthen the future of public health in New York State and beyond. This award is a testament to Dr. St. George's depth of knowledge and unwavering dedication to identifying and responding to current and future public health threats. She truly sets the gold standard and we are honored to have her as part of the Department of Health and the Wadsworth Center."

Dr. St. George has been with the New York Department of Health — Wadsworth Center for over two decades, as the Director of Virology since 2004 and Chief of the Laboratory of Viral Diseases (LVD) since 2008. During this time, she has spearheaded operational enhancements that positioned the Department and Wadsworth to manage the surge response for the 2009 influenza pandemic and subsequent influenza outbreaks.

Since 2012, Dr. St. George has led the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Reference Center in New York and the National Influenza Reference Center in NY since 2015. In early 2021, she spearheaded the establishment of the New York State Sequencing Consortium, comprising laboratories at four major academic medical centers and Wadsworth. In 2022 the work was expanded to include wastewater testing. She now serves as Scientific Director for the consortium.

She is the recipient of five New York State Commissioner Awards for her response work on major disease outbreaks, the 2017 international Career Achievement Award in Diagnostic Virology from the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology and the 2018 University of South Australia Alumni Award for distinguished innovation and pioneering work in the recipient's field of practice.

APHL released its list of 2025 annual award winners for outstanding achievements in laboratory science, creative approaches to solving public health challenges and exemplary support of laboratories serving the public's health. Awardees were honored on May 7 at the APHL Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon.

Read more about Dr. St. George here.

Learn more about the Wadsworth Center here.