Upstate Medical University

Global Health Institute

Global Health Institute

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Laboratory

The Upstate Global Health Institute provides a full suite of laboratory services divided into two distinct competency areas: Sample Processing and Analytical Research.

The Sample Processing Laboratory of the Upstate Global Health Institute is located in the same building as the Institute clinic and is equipped with:

  • Four Class-II Biosafety Cabinets
  • Five Refrigerated Centrifuges
  • One Cellometer for automated cell counting
  • Two refrigerators, two -20 oC freezers, two -80 oC freezers, and two liquid nitrogen tanks with 24/7 monitoring and alert notification system

The processing laboratory provides a range of services to accommodate a wide range of regulated human clinical trial sample processing, storage, and shipping needs. The lab maintains audit readiness through a highly experience team trained with GCP standards and adherence to Good Documentation Practices. The lab has been qualified by several sponsors for an extensive range of technical services including PBMC processing and timed sample collection/processing in support of pharmacokinetic studies. 

The lab services include

  • Processing and storage of whole blood products (serum, plasma, and PBMC)
  • Processing and storage of non-blood products including saliva, urine, and mucosal swabs
  • Storage and shipping of specimens, including dry ice and dry shipper services
  • Development and validation of new collection and processing services 

The Analytical Research Laboratory of the Upstate Global Health Institute is located on the SUNY Upstate main campus and is equipped with an array of state-of-the-art analytical equipment that is able to support advanced virologic and immunologic analysis of specimens processed by the Sample Processing Laboratory or provided by external processing laboratories. The Analytical Research Laboratory maintains seven -80 oC freezers and five liquid nitrogen tanks for long-term sample storage, which are subject to 24/7 monitoring, with sample inventory maintained on a cloud-based software platform.  

The services provided by the analytical research lab include

  • Qualitative and quantitative RT-PCR
  • Multiple serology assays (MesoScale Diagnostics platform) 
  • ELISAs
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Viral neutralizing assays (Dengue, Zika)
  • Virus propagation (Dengue, Zika)
  • Viral plaque assay
  • Development and validation of new assays and analytical techniques
For More Information …

Dongmei Liu, MS, MA

Laboratory Manager

Dongmei Liuis the Laboratory Manager for the Upstate Global Health Institute. She was born in China, where she received a B.S. in Biology from Sichuan University and an M.S. in Information Technology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. After working as a journal editor for four years, she moved to the U.S. and settled in Buffalo, NY, where she received a M.A. in Biology from Buffalo State College. She then went on to work in a research laboratory at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute for five years. There, she focused on cell-based assays for breast cancer research.
Dongmei moved to Syracuse in 2005, and joined the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Upstate Medical University as a laboratory manager. Her work primarily involved testing the antiviral efficacy of chemical compounds on the varicella zoster virus through cell-based assays and mouse models. While working as a full-time employee, Dongmei earned an A.A.S. in Nursing and became a registered professional nurse in 2016.
Dongmei brought her diverse academic training, rich laboratory experience, and nursing skills to the Institute for Global Health and Translational Science in 2022. She now serves as both the laboratory manager overseeing the operation of the sample processing laboratory, as well as an unblinded pharmacist for selected clinical trials.