Lucy DesJardin, PhD, Program Manager, Molecular Diagnostics, University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory
Lucy DesJardin is a public health molecular biologist and serves as the program manager for Molecular Diagnostics at the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory. She also holds a faculty appointment with the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Since 1981, she has worked in academic institutions in the area of infectious disease with a focus on diagnostics and pathogenesis. She received her Ph.D. in molecular genetics from the University of Florida in 1993. In 1995 she joined the Tuberculosis Research Unit (TBRU) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she developed real-time PCR (TaqMan) tests for determining Mycobacterium tuberculosis viability and assays to monitor microbial gene expression. This work resulted in two patents on PCR- based assays. She has interests in molecular detection and prevention of emerging infectious diseases, particularly those of public health concern.