The Bloodborne Viruses Laboratory’s applied research program includes developing molecular and serological laboratory methods to address clinical testing and surveillance needs. The laboratory also collaborates with internal and external investigators on applied and public health-focused research projects. We have served as an Association of Public Health Laboratories’ HIV Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) Reference Center since 2012. The goals of this project are to provide U.S. public health laboratories with HIV-1 and HIV-2 RNA testing to assist in the diagnosis of acute HIV infections and to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing HIV NAT using shared services model.

Although most research projects in the laboratory focus on HIV and HCV, in 2020 as part of our public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our lab developed a high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay for use with dried blood spots, which was used in statewide seroprevalence studies in early 2020.  This assay was also used in additional collaborative projects, including with the Wadsworth Center Newborn Screening Program to assess the seroprevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 in women who gave birth in New York State from November 2019 through November 2021, with the Collaborative Cohort of Cohorts for COVID-19 Research (C4R) Study to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among several large ongoing cohort studies, and with other Wadsworth Center laboratories and research groups across the country for a collaborative project funded through a U01 grant to develop enhanced dried blood spot serology methods for measuring SARS-CoV-2 exposure and immunity as part of the National Cancer Institute’s Serological Sciences Network for COVID-19 (SeroNet). 

Current assay development projects

  • HIV-1 TNA detection by digital PCR
  • HIV-2 sequencing to detect antiretroviral drug resistance mutations
  • Next generation sequencing of hepatitis C virus (HCV) samples for analysis using New York State Hepatitis Outbreak and Surveillance Technology (NYSHOST)
  • Hepatitis B surface antigen testing of dried blood spots

Featured Publications

Damjanovic AK, Keyel A, Rock JM, Ehrbar D, Bievenue R, Nemeth KL, Yauney E, Kay DM, Caggana M, Parker MM, Styer LM. Longitudinal analysis of passively and actively acquired SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in infants with repeat newborn screening samples. Sci Rep. 2025; Jul 4;15 (1): 23881. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-09140-6
Pubmed Web Address
Demmer RT, Wu C, Kim JS, Sun Y, Balte P, Cushman M, Boyle R, Tracy RP, Styer LM, Bell TD, Anderson MR, Allen NB, Schreiner PJ, Bowler R, Schwartz DA, Lee JS, Xanthakis V, Rock JM, Bievenue R, Pirzada A, Doyle M, Regan EA, Make BJ, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Wenzel SE, Coresh J, Isasi CR, Raffield LM, Elkind MSV, Howard VJ, Ortega VE, Woodruff P, Cole SA, Henderson JM, Mantis NJ, Oelsner EC. Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Nucleocapsid Antibody Response Among Previously Infected US Adults: The C4R Study. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025; Mar 20;12 (3): ofaf123. DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf123
Pubmed Web Address
DeRosa KL, Pisanic N, Kruczynski K, Heaney CD, Styer LM, Mantis NJ. Inter-laboratory harmonization of microsphere immunoassays for SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection in contrived dried blood spots and oral fluids. Microbiol Spectr. 2025; Mar 25;13 (5): e0269024. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02690-24
Pubmed Web Address
Pedro MG, Seanna P, Honoria G, Renee H, Chunki F, Ben E. HCV prevalence and phylogenetic characteristics in a cross-sectional, community study of young people who inject drugs in New York City: Opportunity for and threats to HCV elimination. Health Sci Rep. 2024; Jul 1;7 (7): e2211. DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.2211
Pubmed Web Address
Berman K, Van Slyke G, Novak H, Rock JM, Bievenue R, Damjanovic AK, DeRosa KL, Mirabile G, Phipps K, Machowski J, Bialosuknia S, Giradin RC, Dupuis AP, Payne AF, Lee WT, McDonough KA, Parker MM, Styer LM, Mantis NJ. Quantitating SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from human dried blood spots. Microbiol Spectr. 2024; Oct 29;12 (12): e0084624. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00846-24
Pubmed Web Address
O'Grady TJ, Kaufman S, Stolz A, Styer LM, Haskin L, Suresh P, Ryman NL, Shah D, Sullivan TJ, Torian L, Gonzalez C, Parker MM, Swain CA. Late Identification of Perinatal Transmission of HIV in an Infant at High Risk. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2024; ep-Oct 01;30 (5): 653-656. DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001976
Pubmed Web Address
Kim JS, Sun Y, Balte P, Cushman M, Boyle R, Tracy RP, Styer LM, Bell TD, Anderson MR, Allen NB, Schreiner PJ, Bowler RP, Schwartz DA, Lee JS, Xanthakis V, Doyle MF, Regan EA, Make BJ, Kanaya AM, Wenzel SE, Coresh J, Isasi CR, Raffield LM, Elkind MSV, Howard VJ, Ortega VE, Woodruff P, Cole SA, Henderson JM, Mantis NJ, Parker MM, Demmer RT, Oelsner EC. Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Spike 1 Antibody Response Among Vaccinated US Adults: the C4R Study. Nat Commun. 2024; Feb 19;15 (1): 1492. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45468-9
Pubmed Web Address
Nemeth, KL, E Yauney, JM Rock, R Bievenue, MM Parker, LM Styer. Use of self-collected dried blood spots and a multiplex microsphere immunoassay to measure IgG antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines. Microbiology Spectrum. 2023; 11 (1): e01336-22. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01336-22
Pubmed Web Address
Barranco MA, Rosenberg ES, Flanigan C, Shufelt S, Bruce EM, Wilberschied LA, Parker MM, Duncan E, Udo T. A cross-sectional study of hepatitis C prevalence and correlates among persons who inject drugs in rural and non-rural communities. J Viral Hepat. 2022; 29 (11): 994-1003. DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13735
Pubmed Web Address
Damjanovic A, Styer LM, Nemeth K, Yauney E, Rock JM, Bievenue R, Hoen R, Ehrbar D, Kay DM, Caggana M, Parker MM. Utility of Newborn Dried Blood Spots to Ascertain Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Individuals Giving Birth in New York State, November 2019 to November 2021. JAMA Netw Open. 2022; 5 (8): e2227995. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.27995
Pubmed Web Address
Swain CA, Kaufman S, Miranda W, Haskin L, Parker MM, Shah D, Gonzalez C. Postpartum Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV in a Breastfeeding Infant. Pediatrics. 2022; 149 (2): e202105136. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-051360
Pubmed Web Address
Styer LM, Hoen R, Rock J, Yauney E, Nemeth K, Bievenue R, Parker MM. High-Throughput Multiplex SARS-CoV-2 IgG Microsphere Immunoassay for Dried Blood Spots: A Public Health Strategy for Enhanced Serosurvey Capacity. Microbiol Spectr. 2021; 9 (1): e0013421. DOI: 10.1128/Spectrum.00134-21
Pubmed Web Address
Rosenberg ES, Tesoriero JM, Rosenthal EM, Chung R, Barranco MA, Styer LM, Parker MM, John Leung SY, Morne JE, Greene D, Holtgrave DR, Hoefer D, Kumar J, Udo T, Hutton B, Zucker HA. Cumulative incidence and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in New York. Ann Epidemiol. 2020; 48 23-29. DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.06.004
Pubmed Web Address
Styer LM, Gaynor AM, Parker MM, Bennett SB, Wesolowski LG, Ethridge S, Chavez PR, Sullivan TJ, Fordan S, Wroblewski K. Three Years of Shared Service HIV Nucleic Acid Testing for Public Health Laboratories: Worthwhile for HIV-1 but Not for HIV-2. Sex Transm Dis. 2020; 47 (5S Suppl 1): S8-S12. DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001123
Pubmed Web Address
Parker MM, Bennett SB, Sullivan TJ, Fordan S, Wesolowski LG, Wroblewski K, Gaynor AM. Performance of the Alere Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo Rapid Test with algorithm defined acute HIV-1 infection specimens. J Clin Virol. 2018; 104 89-91. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2018.05.005
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Luo W, Davis G, Li L, Shriver MK, Mei J, Styer LM, Parker MM, Smith A, Paz-Bailey G, Ethridge S, Wesolowski L, Owen SM, Masciotra S. Evaluation of dried blood spot protocols with the Bio-Rad GS HIV Combo Ag/Ab EIA and Geenius™ HIV 1/2 Supplemental Assay. J Clin Virol. 2017; 91 84-89. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2017.03.011
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Wesolowski LG, Wroblewski K, Bennett SB, Parker MM, Hagan C, Ethridge SF, Rhodes J, Sullivan TJ, Ignacio-Hernando I, Werner BG, Owen SM. Nucleic acid testing by public health referral laboratories for public health laboratories using the U.S. HIV diagnostic testing algorithm. Clinical Virology. 2015; (65): 6-10.
Pubmed Web Address
Sullivan TJ, Antonio-Gaddy MS, Richardson-Moore A, Styer LM, Bigelow-Saulsbery D, Parker MM. Expansion of HIV screening to non-clinical venues is aided by the use of dried blood spots for Western blot confirmation. Clinical Virology. 2013; (58): 123-126.
Pubmed Web Address
Styer LM, Miller TT, Parker MM. Validation and clinical use of a sensitive HIV-2 viral load assay that uses a whole virus internal control. Journal of Clinical Virology. 2013; 58 (suppl 1): E127-E133.
Pubmed Web Address
Goldsamt LA, Clatts MC, Parker MM, Colon V, Hallack R, Messina MG. Prevalence of Sexually Acquired Antiretroviral Drug Resistance in a Community Sample of HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men in New York City. AIDS Patient Care & Stds. 2011; 25 (5): 287-293.
Pubmed Web Address
Styer LM, Sullivan TJ, Parker MM. Evaluation of an alternative supplemental testing strategy for HIV diagnosis by retrospective analysis of clinical HIV testing data. Journal of Clinical Virology. 2011; 52 (Suppl 1): S35-S40.
Pubmed Web Address
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