The Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) within the Wadsworth Center at the New York State Department of Health has regulatory oversight responsibility for laboratories that test environmental samples collected in New York State.  These laboratories analyze samples for a wide range of toxins, harmful microorganisms, carcinogens, and other substances that may affect public health and the environment. 

Nicole Cairns, Assistant Director of the Wadsworth Center, was elected Chair of The NELAC Institute (TNI) Chemistry Expert Committee on January 7, 2026.  TNI is a national, nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the generation of environmental measurement data of known and documented quality through the development and maintenance of consensus standards.  These standards are used to accredit environmental laboratories, accreditation bodies, and proficiency testing providers nationwide.  Ms.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a significant public health challenge in the United States.  According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 29.5 million individuals aged 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder, while 24 million had a drug use disorder.  Beyond the direct health impacts of substance use, individuals with SUD may also face increased exposure to harmful environmental chemicals that can further compromise health.  Drugs produced through clandestine and unregulated manufacturing processes can expose individuals to a range of contaminan

The Wadsworth Center has identified Borrelia mayonii in blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) collected in New York State – the first time this Lyme disease-like pathogen has been detected outside the upper Midwest. B.

The Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP) within the Wadsworth Center regulates clinical laboratory testing in New York State. Among its regulatory responsibilities, CLEP is currently the only regulatory agency in the United States that conducts formal review of Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs). While clinical laboratories outside New York State may develop and use LDTs without FDA approval, any laboratory seeking to test New York State specimens must obtain CLEP approval. 

A new research publication coauthored by the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences highlights a link between secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure and sleep disturbances in children. SHS remains a significant public health concern, and emerging evidence suggests it can adversely affect sleep through both biological and behavioral mechanisms.

Proposed regulations to amend Subpart 58-1 and the addition of Subpart 58-6 to replace Part 19 are available for public comment at

Scientists from the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences (DEHS) coauthored a new study published in Nature Communications that sheds light on how plastic-associated endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may contribute to hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic inflammatory skin disease with limited treatment options.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has recognized the GUARDIAN study as one of the nine most impactful, newsworthy, or novel research studies published in the past year. This distinction places GUARDIAN among JAMA’s annual “Research of the Year” selections, highlighting its significance to medicine and public health. 

Dr. Janice Pata, Director of the Wadsworth Center’s Division of Scientific Cores, delivered a virtual seminar to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis on December 9, 2025.