
Yvonne Penrod
Molecular Supervisor,
Public Health Laboratory
5 years of service
Got any favorite quotes?
“Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.”
– Dr. Mae Jemison
Who inspires you?
Many people inspire me, but overall there are three people who have really made an impact on me personally and professionally: my mom and my former research laboratory supervisors- Eun Yong Shim (UTHSC) and Katrina Rothblum (OUHSC). They are intelligent, determined, and have great passion and commitment to their work and families.
What is the most rewarding experience you have had in public health?
In July, we successfully completed the implementation of whole genome sequencing (WGS) at the PHL. CDC PulseNet began a multi-phase, multi-year project in 2016 to build whole genome sequencing capacity in public health laboratories across the nation. Whole genome sequencing provides public health scientists with more detailed and precise data for the surveillance and detection of foodborne outbreaks, and improves our epidemiologists’ ability to link cases of illness to potential outbreaks and to identify common sources of infection.
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