Wadsworth Center


The Wadsworth Center, located in Albany, New York, is the research-intensive public health laboratory of the New York State Department of Health. The Wadsworth Center is dedicated to science in the pursuit of health.

History

The Wadsworth Center, originally the New York State's Antitoxin Laboratory, was established in 1901. Its mission was to standardize and manufacture antitoxin, which was for the treatment of communicable diseases such as diphtheria and anthrax. In 1914, the Antitoxin Laboratory was designated the Division of Laboratories and Research. At the same time, Augustus B. Wadsworth was named director and he served until 1945.

Today

The Wadsworth Center has over 100 principal investigators and more than 1,000 staff in four locations, the Biggs Laboratory, the David Axelrod Institute, the Center for Medical Science, and, in nearby Guilderland, New York, the Griffin Laboratory. Scientists at the Wadsworth Center study public health issues, such as drug resistance to emerging infections, environmental exposures, and basic biological processes that contribute to human health and disease.
Additionally, as the state's public health reference laboratory, the Wadsworth Center is responsible for responding to public health threats, developing methods to detect microbes and genetic disorders, measuring and analyzing environmental chemicals, and licensing clinical and environmental laboratories. In conjunction with the University at Albany, SUNY, the Wadsworth Center has training programs for undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral fellows.

Wadsworth Center Fellowship program

The mission of the Wadsworth Center Fellowship Program is to provide scientists with broad experience in laboratory science and research in infectious disease, genetics, environmental health or translational medicine. Fellows will gain broad experience at one of the nation’s premier public health laboratories, renowned for developing and utilizing high complexity testing using advanced technologies and state of the art equipment. .