Sara B. Griesemer

Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Sara B. Griesemer is a clinical virologist and molecular diagnostics researcher whose work has significantly advanced the efficiency and scalability of infectious disease testing. Her primary research areas include high-throughput sample processing, viral RNA extraction, and pandemic preparedness—particularly for respiratory pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. Griesemer’s most impactful contribution is her pioneering study on sample pooling for clinical SARS-CoV-2 testing (2020, 10 citations), which demonstrated a practical strategy to dramatically increase testing capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic by combining multiple patient samples into a single test. This work provided a critical solution for overwhelmed laboratories, enabling faster screening of large populations while conserving reagents and resources. Earlier, she developed an automated, simplified method for influenza RNA extraction from clinical swabs using the TruTip and epMotion platforms (2013, 9 citations), which reduced hands-on time and improved reproducibility in routine diagnostics. Her achievements highlight a career dedicated to bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and real-world clinical needs, making her a valuable contributor to global health security and a model for translational virology research.