Dr. Michele Caggana joined the Wadsworth Center in 1996 after receiving her doctoral degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and completing post-doctoral work in molecular virology at Wadsworth Center and clinical molecular genetics at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

Dr. Caggana is Chief of the Laboratory of Human Genetics and was appointed as Director of the Newborn Screening Program in 2005. She is the Deputy Director for the Division of Genetics and Co-Lead of the Genetic Testing Section for the Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program.

Newborn screening has expanded drastically in recent years. Our Program now screens for 50 conditions. Since being the first in the country to add Krabbe disease screening in 2006, we have added six additional conditions. We were the first in the country to add screening for adrenoleukodystrophy and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency. In addition, we were fourth in the country to add testing for severe combined immunodeficiency and second to add universal screening for Pompe disease. In 2018, we also added screening for spinal muscular atrophy and mucopolysaccharidosis type I.

The lab has received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources Services Administration, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

and the Association of Public Health Laboratories to improve screening and to investigate the addition of new conditions to the panel. Such studies include consented pilots for spinal muscular atrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and a new pilot to examine 13 additional conditions.

The Newborn Screening Molecular Laboratory performs second-tier molecular testing of newborns for cystic fibrosis, galactosemia, medium-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, Pompe disease, Adrenoleukodystrophy, Mucopolysaccharidosis type I, and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase in order to "rule-in" a positive diagnosis. Several other molecular tests are currently under development, including a custom newborn screening next generation sequencing panel

Awards and Honors

• 2017 APHL Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2016 Harry Hannon Laboratory Improvement Award
• 2010 Commissioner’s Recognition Award
• 2006 Commissioner’s Recognition Award, Newborn Screening and Genetic Services Team
• 2003 Commissioner’s Recognition Award, Newborn Screening and Genetic Services Team