NEVADA: Nevada State Public Health Lab plays vital ‘front line’ role throughout pandemic
With longer workdays and increased workloads due to the pandemic, Mark Pandori (middle) and his team of laboratory professionals has grown. Photo by Brin Reynolds/UNR Med.
During a time where quality COVID-19 testing and reputable scientific information is in high demand, the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory (NSPHL), part of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, continues to step up. The lab was the first public health lab in Nevada to run COVID-19 diagnostics tests, and has become a major testing center throughout the pandemic. The NSPHL participates in several research projects and offers guidance to regional and state officials. All the while, the lab’s efforts often involve collaboration with University faculty and students, regional partners and federal organizations.
“Dr. Mark Pandori and the NSPHL took immediate action to support testing statewide in the early days of the pandemic,” said UNR Med Acting Dean Melissa Piasecki, MD. “Their innovative approaches helped Nevada obtain FDA status as one of only three states that developed, evaluated and conducted novel methods of COVID-19 testing, which expanded testing capacity and increased access to health care providers and their patients.”