Science Advisory Board Dr. Kara Levinson Confirmation Resolution of 2025

M
URIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
November 13, 2025
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 12 of the Department of Forensic Sciences
Establishment Act of 2011, effective August 17, 2011 (D.C. Law 19-18; D.C. Official Code § 5-
1501.11), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
Dr. Kara Levinson
Carter Avenue
Nashville, TN 37206
for appointment as a scientist with experience in scientific research and methodology, who has
published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and who is not currently employed by the Department
or by a law enforcement laboratory or agency who is also a statistician member of the Science Advisory
Board, filling a vacant seat formerly held by Dr. Jeanne Jordan, for the remainder of an unexpired term
to end April 18, 2028.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-m entioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Sincerely,
Muriel B owser
Mayor
~ ~
3 at the request of the Mayor
4
5
6 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
7
8
9
10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
11
12
13
14
15 To confirm the appointment of Dr. Kara Levinson to the Science Advisory Board.
16
17 RESOLVED , BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA , That this
18 resolution may be cited as the "Science Advisory Board Dr. Kara Levinson Confirmation
19 Resolution of 2025".
20 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
21
22 Dr. Kara Levinson
23 Carter A venue
24 Nashville, TN 37206
25
26 as a scientist with experience in scientific research and methodology, who has published in peer-
27 reviewed scientific journals, and who is not currently employed by the Department or by a law
28 enforcement laboratory or agency who is also a statistician member of the Science Advisory
29 Board, established by section 12 of the Department of Forensic Sciences Establishment Act of
30 2011, effective August 17, 2011 (D.C. Law 19-18; D .C. Official Code§ 5-1501.11), filling a
31 vacant seat formerly held by Dr. Jeanne Jordan, for the remainder of an unexpired term to end
32 April 18, 2028.
33 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
34 upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Mayor.
35 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Kara J. Levinson, PhD, MPH, D(ABMM)
A
PPOINTMENTS & POSITIO NS:
2022-Present State Laboratory Director, Division of Laboratory Services, Tennessee Department of Health,
Nashville, TN
2024-Present Assistant Clinical Professor , Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
2020-2022 Deputy State Laboratory Director, Division of Laboratory Services, Tennessee Department of Health,
Nashville, TN
EDUCATION & TRAINING:
2018-2020 Postdoctoral Fellowship: Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Laboratory Leadership Service
Field assignee at New Hampshire Dept. of Health, Concord, NH
2016-2018 Postdoctoral Fellowship: CPEP Medical and Public Health Microbiology
University of North Carolina Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC
2011-2016 Doctor of Philosophy: Biomedical Sciences, Immunology & Infectious Diseases
State University of New York at Albany and Wadsworth Center, NY State Dept. of Health, Albany, NY
2009-2010 Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Fellowship: Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)
Field assignee to the Iowa Public Health Laboratory, Coralville, IA
2007-2009 Master of Public Health: Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
2003-2007 Bachelor of Science: Microbiology, Minor in Chemistry
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
LICENSURE & SERVICE:
2020-Present Medical Laboratory Director-PHLD, TN Medical Laboratory Board (License #0000025741)
2018-Present American Board of Medical Microbiology, Diplomate (Certificate #1318)
2018-2024 Board of Directors, American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
PU
BLIC HEALTH EXPERIENCE:
2020-Present Tennessee Public Health Laboratory, Nashville, TN
Currently oversee the state public health laboratories, including the Nashville Central Laboratory (NCL)
and the Knoxville Regional Laboratory (KRL). Direct grant s, budget, and personnel management for
the NCL (~1 75 FTEs) and KRL (~ 15 FTEs). Serve as CLIA director for both laboratories and o versee
regulatory accreditation and quality standards for all testing areas (CLIA, FSAP, A2LA, EPA), laboratory
tours, fellowship and training programs, and represent the laboratory to state leadership and external
organizations. Develop and implement new test methods, quality and safety process for laboratory
operations, and harmonize processes between divisions and laboratories . Leading the design and
construction of a new public health laboratory facility.
20
18-2020 New Hampshire Public Health Laboratory, Concord, NH
Completed the CDC Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) Fellowship as a field assignee at the NH State
Public Health Laboratory, overseen by Director Dr. Christine Bean. Duties included management of

K. Levinson, page 2
the high complexity laboratory, strategic planning, evaluation of quality management systems,
biosafety, communication, and leadership. Served as Acting Supervisor for TB Microbiology Unit.
Participated in high -level scientific program planning for the laboratory, helped manage budgets,
grants, staffing, procurement, and contracts. Participated in CLIA and Federal Select Agent Program
(FSAP) regulatory inspections and helped implement procedures to comply with regulatory
requirements and quality standards, including ISO 17025. Expanded collaborations within the State,
including with epidemiology, environmental science, and medical and veterinary partners.
Served as the Laboratory Lead in the 2018 Legionella outbreak investigation in Hampton, NH. Served
as Co-Laboratory Lead for a 1-month CDC Epi-Aid involving a Leptospirosis serosurvey of households in
the U.S. Virgin Islands following the 2017 hurricanes. Part of a measles outbreak response team
deployed to NY in 2018-19, and performed an evaluation of laboratory serological records of students
to determine measles immune status and document if they could return to school.
20
18 Washington DC Public Health Laboratory, Washington, DC
Completed a 2- week laboratory rotation overseen by Director Dr. Tony Tran. Served as a consultant
for senior staff on increasing testing capacity and initiating fee -for-service testing, participated in
weekly meetings, and provided input on complex political issues.
Participated in the monthly all- staff meeting and presented on implementation of Individualized
Quality Control Plans (IQCP). Completed rotations within the Dept. of Forensic Sciences, including:
medical examiner, latent fingerprinting, forensic biology, firearms, and crime scene investigation.
20
17 North Carolina Public Health Laboratory, Raleigh, NC
Completed a 3- month laboratory rotation overseen by Director Dr. Scott Zimmerman, Assistant
Director, Dr. Dee Pettit, and bacteriology Supervisor, Tom Lawson. The rotation included (1) an
evaluation of the e nteric microbiology section and consult on how to streamline test workflow and
reporting, and (2) a Campylobacter species verification study on the Bruker MALDI -TOF mass
spectrometry instrument.
Collaborated with the State Veterinarian and foodborne epidemiologists to amend the North Carolina
State Code to require the submission of clinical materials for select enteric pathogens to address
increasing use of culture independent testing (CIDT) throughout the state.
20
15-2016 Wadsworth Center, New York State Public Health Laboratory, Albany, NY
Completed a 6 -month rotation in the b acteriology unit while completing doctorate at Wadsworth,
overseen by b acteriology Chief Dr. Kimberlee Musser. Completed clinical rotations in all sections of
Bacteriology including: general, molecular, enteric, anaerobic bacteriology, PFGE, MALDI -TOF MS,
Legionella, pertussis, whole genome sequencing (WGS), and mycobacteriology.
Rotations led to a collaborative project with the bioinformatics core and epidemiologists, in which
WGS data from Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis isolates were analyzed and compared to PFGE
and epi -linked patient data. Results led to the integration of WGS in the public health laboratory
setting, helped identify and prioritize clusters of isolates associated with outbreaks, and demonstrated
how to analyze and share the data in real time in a manner that is useful to both laboratorians and
epidemiologists.
20
09-2010 Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa, Coralville, IA
Completed 1 -year Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) fellowship overseen by Assistant Director Dr.
Michael Pentella. Coordinated and led influenza diagnostic testing and surveillance during the 2009
H1N1 pandemic. Performed virus culture and molecular testing for the state and contributed data to
the emergency use authorization (EUA) multicenter FDA Evaluation of the CDC Influenza 2009
A(H1N1)pdm Real-Time RT- PCR Panel. Performed diagnostic testing for Bordetella pertussis and a
verification study on Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) assay.
K. Levinson, page 3
2006-2009 Alaska State Environmental Health Laboratory, Anchorage, AK
Served as a summer intern for 4 summers, overseen by b iology Supervisor Dr. Sara Longan. Duties
included managing media preparation for the biology section, prepping samples and animals for
testing, performing quality control checks, equipment maintenance, ordering, shipping and receiving
laboratory samples, live animals, and biohazardous materials.
Participated in the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) validation of a rapid antigen test for the
detection of E . coli O157:H7 using a variety of food products and collaborated with the State
Veterinarian to perform avian influenza surveillance testing in a BSL-3 laboratory.
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:
2016-2018 CPEP Medical & Public Health Microbiology Fellowship, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC
Completed a two-year clinical fellowship, overseen by Directors Drs. Peter Gilligan and Melissa Miller.
Duties included management of the high- complexity clinical microbiology laboratory at UNC hospitals
(900+ beds). Served as on- site acting director for the m olecular microbiology laboratory while the
director was on 6-month sabbatical.
Provided on-call and consult services to clinicians for interpretation of laboratory results for disease
diagnoses, led daily infectious disease rounds and participated in weekly adult and pediatric infectious
disease conferences. Completed rotations in all laboratory sections: central processing, bacteriology,
molecular microbiology, parasitology, mycology, mycobacteriology, and diagnostic immunology.
Participated in the CAP inspection, state -wide CRE surveillance, performed method validations and
verifications, quality assurance projects, safety risk assessment for Francisella, and research projects
including: (1) an evaluation of a novel selective medium for the isolation of nontuberculous
mycobacteria (NTM), (2) development of a novel testing algorithm using quantitative thresholds to
identify C. difficile infection using syndromic panel testing, (3) a comparison of Bacterioscan to urine
culture for rapid detection of pediatric bacteriuria, and (4) a retrospective analysis of multidrug -
resistant clinical and environmental isolates for the presence of the colistin resistance gene mcr-1.
R
ESEARCH EXPERIENCE:
2011-2016 Graduate Research Assistant, Wadsworth Center & University at Albany, Albany, NY
Principal Investigator: Dr. Nicholas Mantis
Dissertation focused on determining the mechanisms by which lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -specific IgA
antibodies mediate protection against the enteric pathogen Vibrio cholerae . Created and
characterized biological functions of chimeric IgG antibodies directed against immunodominant
epitopes of V. cholerae LPS as a diagnostic standard for cholera vaccine trials. Identified changes in V.
cholerae gene expression via RNA -seq in response to anti -LPS antibodies and elucidated signaling
pathways required for changes in virulence. Determined the impact of anti -LPS IgA antibody binding
on V. cholerae motility, agglutination, outer membrane morphology and energetics.
2007-2009 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
Principal Investigator: Dr. Vic DiRita
Research focused on identifying the genetic basis for antibiotic resistance in classical and El Tor
epidemic biotypes of V. cholerae. Performed V. cholerae cloning and transposon mutagenesis screen
to identify genes involved in the regulation and expression of cholera toxin and other virulence
factors.
2004-2007 Undergraduate Research Assistant, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jeff Leid
Research focused on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm infections in Cystic Fibrosis patients.
Characterized a three -component regulon that controls biofilm susceptibility to human leukocytes.
Characterized clinical strains of Methicillin -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) implicated in a
2007 Phoenix hospital outbreak and identified a novel allelic profile by DNA sequencing.
K. Levinson, page 4
LEADERSHIP:
2024-Present *Chair, Laboratory Developed Tests (LDT) Taskforce, APHL
Focus is on providing clear and consistent guidance to APHL member and templates that can be used
to comply with the new FDA regulatory requirements.
20
24-Present Nominations and Appointments Committee, ASM
Review applications, recruiting qualified candidates to support the election processes and future
leadership of ASM.
2024-Present Foodborne Diseases Committee, APHL
Review, discuss, and develop guidance for foodborne disease and outbreak response testing for APHL
members.
20
24-Present Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA) Surveillance Working Group
Collaborate with a variety of experts representing federal, commercial, and industry entities to
provide develop food safety guidance.
20
23-Present ABMM Exam Development Subcommittee, ASM American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM)
Review of current exam questions, new questions, and modifications to questions based on
performance statistics.
20
20-Present Document Development Committee for Gram Stain (M63), CLSI
Development and drafting of the CLSI M63 document on Gram stains. Currently writing and
contributing to three chapters.
2023-2024 Cronobacter Clinical and Public Health Subgroup, CSTE
Develop guidance for Cronobacter diagnostic testing workflow for clinical laboratories and isolate
submission to public health laboratories, provide recommendations for identification methods,
validation resources, and sequencing protocols.
20
22-2023 HIV and Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee, APHL
Development and promotion of resources that highlight HIV and viral Hepatitis testing best practices
for public health laboratories.
20
22-2023 Laboratory Leaders of Today, APHL
Developed and led the yearlong “bootcamp” for new state/local laboratory directors.
2021-2023 Document Development Committee on CLIA-Waived Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (POCT18), CLSI
Developed and drafted a white paper on point -of-care testing for SARS- CoV-2, influenza, and
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
2021 CPEP Microbiology Essentials Review Committee Member, ASM
Reviewed the ASM CPEP Essentials document that outlines the minimum training standards and
requirements for all CPEP programs and made recommendations to update and align based on
fellowship needs.
20
19-2021 ABMM Validation Subcommittee Member, ASM
Reviewed American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) exam questions to assess level of
difficulty and relevance to current topics in clinical and public health microbiology.
K. Levinson, page 5
2019-2020 APHL 2020 Planning Committee Member, APHL
Identified topics for sessions and posters, meeting schedule, reviewed and selected submissions for
sessions and poster abstracts for the APHL 2020 Annual Meeting.
2014-2016 President, ASM Eastern NY Branch Student Chapter
Led, organized, and promoted activities for ASM student members. H osted annual ASM symposium,
pursued opportunities for career development and networking among graduate students and post -
docs, increased membership among the graduate programs in the region, invited seminar speakers,
and directed the student executive board.
B
IBLIOGRAPHY:
Refereed Publications:
1. Dorley MC, Bair E, Ryland P, Ingram AD, Reeves E, Levinson KJ , Adair OO, Meredith JF, and Crowe S. Continuity of
operations in newborn screening: lessons learned from three incidents. Int J Neonatal Screen. Aug 1;10(3):55. PMID:
39189227
2. Thomas CM, Hartley A, Schmitz A, Reid HD, Sullivan S, Huebner E, Robinson M, Mathis A, Fill MA, Levinson KJ , Jones
TF, Schaffner W, Newhouse CN, and Dunn JR. Implications of measles inclusion by commercial syndromic
polymerase chain reaction panels- United States, May 2022 -April 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep . Ma r
28
;73(12):260-264. PMID: 38547036
3. Socea JN, Stone VN, Qian X, Gibbs PL, and Levinson KJ. Implementing laboratory automation for next -generation
sequencing: benefits and challenges for library preparation. Front Public Health. Jul 13:11:1195581. PMID: 37521966
4. Levinson KJ , Collins ME, Lachiewicz AM, Koltun AJ, Sobsey MD, Christenson E, Stewart JR, and Miller MB. 2022.
Retrospective analysis of multidrug -resistant clinical and environmental isolates for the presence of the colistin -
resistance gene mcr-1. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. Dec;43(12):1957-60. PMID: 35860908
5. Daly ER, Talbot EA, Smith JC, Ritter T, Raphael BH, Kozak -Muizneiks NA, McCormic ZD, Fay K, Levinson KJ, Bean CL,
Wilson RT, Morse D, Linxweiler, and Chan BP. 2022. Community outbreak of Legionellosis associated with an indoor
h
ot tub, New Hampshire, 2018. J Environ Health. Jun;84.10(16-24).
6. Grome HN, Meyer B, Read E, Buchanan M, Cushing A, Sawatzki K, Levinson KJ , Thomas LS, Perry Z, Uehara A, Tao Y,
Queen K, Tong S, Ghai R, Fill MM, Jones TF, Schaffner W, and Dunn J. 2022. Investigation of a SARS -CoV-2 outbreak
involving Malayan tigers and humans, Tennessee, USA, October 2020. Emerg Infect Dis . Apr;28(4):833-836. PMID:
35318922
7. Ciccone EJ, Markmann AJ, Srinivas ML, Levinson KJ, Miller MB, van Duin D, and Gay CL. 2022. Encephalitis caused by
Jamestown canyon virus in a liver transplant patient, North Carolina, USA 2017. Open Forum Infect Dis . Jan
30;9(3):ofac031. PMID: 35187195
8. Brazeau NF*, Levinson KJ *, Schranz A, Moser KA, Hollis I, Iyer P, Chien C, Bowen A, van Duin D, Lachiewicz A,
Andermann T, Jones M, Miller M, Juliano JJ, and Bartelt LA. 2020. Loss of daptomycin susceptibility in clinical
Staphylococcus epidermidis infection coincided with variants in WalK. Evol Med Public Health. Sep 7;2020(1):219 -
224. PMID: 33214904
*Co-first authors
9. Baranova DE, Willsey GG, Levinson KJ , Smith C, Wade J, and Mantis NJ. 2020. Transcriptional profiling of Vibrio
cholerae O1 following exposure to human anti-lipopolysaccharide monoclonal antibodies. Pathog Dis . Jun 1;78(4).
PMID: 32589220
10. Leal SM, Popowitch EB, Levinson KJ, John TM, Lehman B, Bueno Rios M, Gilligan PH, and Miller MB. 2018.
Quantitative thresholds enable accurate identification of Clostridium difficile infection by the Luminex Xtag GI
pathogen panel. J Clin Microbiol. May 25;56(6):e01885-17. PMID: 29643194
K. Levinson, page 6
11. Ayrapetyan M, Googe PB, Jolly P, Levinson K, Popowitch E, and Lachiewicz AM. 2018. 61 year old man with
erythematous forearm papules three months after liver transplantation. Transpl Infect Dis . Jun;20(3):e12869.
PMID:29512247
12. Baranova DE, Levinson KJ , and Mantis NJ. 2018. Vibrio cholerae O1 secretes an extracellular matrix in response to
antibody-mediated agglutination. PLoS One. Jan 2;13(1):e0190026. PMID: 29293563
13. Levinson KJ , and Gilligan PH. 2017. Laboratory diagnosis of non -tuberculous mycobacterium infections in
bronchiectasis patients: Issues and Controversies. Clinical Microbiology Newsletter. Nov;39(21):167-172.
14. Levinson KJ , Baran o va DE, and Mantis NJ. 2016. A monoclonal antibody that targets the conserved core/lipid A
region of lipopolysaccharide affects motility and reduces intestinal colonization of both classical and El Tor Vibrio
cholerae biotypes. Vaccine. Nov 21;34(48):5833-5836. PMID: 27773473
15. Levinson KJ, Giffen SR, Pauly MH, Kim DH, Bohorov O, Bohorova N, Whaley KJ, Zeitlin L, and Mantis NJ. 2015. Plant -
based production of two chimeric monoclonal IgG antibodies directed against immunodominant epitopes of Vibrio
cholerae lipopolysaccharide. J of Immunol Methods. Jul;422:111-7. PMID: 25865265
16. *Levinson KJ, De Jesus M, and Mantis NJ. 2015. Rapid effects of a protective O -polysaccharide-specific monoclonal
Ig
A on Vibrio cholerae agglutination, motility, and surface morphology. Infec Immun. Apr;83(4):1674- 83. PMID:
25667263
*Featured artic le in IAI Spotlight section
Non-Refereed Publications:
1. Rebeiro PF, Levinson KJ , Jolly L, Kassens E, Dizikes GJ, Steece RS, Metzger DC, Loos M, Buchheit R, Duncan LD,
Rolando LA, Schmitz J, Hart HA, and Aronoff DM. 2020. Prevalence of IgG antibodies against the severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 among healthcare workers in Tennessee during May and June, 2020. medRxiv.
N
ov 16. PMID: 33236027
2. Levinson, KJ. Virology Case of the Month. Pan American Society for Clinical Virology. Apr 2017.
3. Levinson, KJ and Gilligan P. Case of the Week 414. Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites Blog. Sep 2016.
O
ral Presentations:
1. *Levinson, KJ, Johnson S. When hoofbeats reveal zebras: Atypical infections in immunocompetent populations. ASM
M
icrobe. June 2024, Atlanta, GA. *moderator
2. Levinson, KJ, Laboratory Leadership & Management: Laboratory Systems Perspective, APHL Annual Conference. May
2023, Sacramento, CA.
3. Levinson, KJ , Public health— it’s not just for pandemics! Southern California American Society for Microbiology
(SCASM) Virtual Meeting. Oct 2021, virtual.
4. Arora V, Levinson, KJ, Rowlinson, MC, Shone S, Johnson M. Regulatory, accreditation and staffing challenges during
COVID times and strategies to tackle a pandemic. APHL Annual Meeting. May 2021, virtual.
5. Levinson, KJ, Diagnostic Testing in the COVID -19 Pandemic Response. Tennessee Association of Blood Banks Spring
Meeting. Apr 2021, virtual.
6. Levinson, KJ, Building the plane while flying it: Diagnostic testing in the COVID -19 pandemic response . Annual TN
Emerging Infections Program Scientific Presentation Day. Oct 2020, Nashville, TN.
7. Levinson, KJ, Investigating a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Hampton Beach, NH: Lessons learned from the field .
N
ortheast Epidemiology Conference. Nov 2019, Portland, ME.
8. Levinson, KJ, Legionella outbreak response in a small state: Lessons learned from the New Hampshire Public Healt h
L
aboratory. APHL Annual Meeting. Jun 2019, St. Louis, MO.
9. Levinson, KJ, Finding Legionella in a tourist town: What Jaws, drones, and hot tubs taught me about public healt h
par
tnerships. TED-style presentation. Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference. Apr 2019, Atlanta, GA.
10. Levinson, KJ, Evaluation of RGM Medium for the Isolation of Non- tuberculous Mycobacteria in Patients with
Bronchiectasis and Cystic Fibrosis. Abstract Control #4699. ASM Microbe Meeting. Jun 2017, New Orleans, LA.
K. Levinson, page 7

Media:
1. Interview, Lab Matters, Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), Ridi ng the wave of public health laboratory
funding into the future. Published Summer 2024.
2. Interview, N ewspaper article in the Tennessean. At the Tennessee state lab, genetic testing hunts for the next
COVID-19 variant. Published 9/15/2021.
3. Webinar, Co -L ead for TN Dept. of Health COVID -19 Clinician Webinar Series. Recordings: 9/4/2020, 7/24/2020,
6/12/2020, 4/17/2020.
4. Interview, L ab Matters, Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), Finding Legionella. Spring 2019 edition.
5. Interview, Infectious Disease News, First legionellosis outbreak in New Hampshire in more than 50 years. May 2019.

Journal Covers:
1. Levinson KJ, Cole R, and Mantis NJ. 2016. Journal of Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. Featured journal cover image
and research highlighted in Fig 2: Tennant SM, Steele AD, Pasetti MF. Highlights of the 8th International Conference
on Vaccines for Enteric Diseases: the Scottish encounter to defeat diarrheal diseases. Clin Vaccine Immunol 23:272–
281. PMID: 26936100.

Select Abstracts Accepted:
1. Levinson KJ, Balakrishnan N, Jung S, Shea Shari, and Lee C. Protecting infants from Cronobacter infections: how clinical and public
health laboratories are addressing the new notifiable condition. ASM Microbe 2024, Atlanta, GA.
2. Lemon A, W est N, Anderson N, Spann M, Hitchingham E, Thomas L, Burks A, Cheng S, Qian X, Jolly L, Fowler RC, and Levinson KJ. A
workflow for successful next generation sequencing for Candida auris. 2024 APHL Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI.
3. Hartley A, Thomas CM, Schmitz A, Reid H, Sullivan S, Huebner E, Robinson M, Mathis AD, Fill MA, Levinson K , Jones TF, Schaffner W,
Newhouse C, Dunn JR. Incidental detection of measles virus after vaccination: implications of measles inclusion by commercial
syndromic polymerase chain reaction panels—United States, May 2022-April 2023. 2024 CSTE Annual Conference. Pittsburgh, PA.
4. Socea JN, Stone VN, Moore C, Thomas L, Burks JA, Qian X, Gibbs PL, Levinson KJ , Steece R. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of
carbapenem-resistant organisms that are PCR negative for major carbapenemase -encoding genes. APHL 2022 Annual Conference .
Cleveland, OH.
5. Grome HN, Meyer B, Read E, Buchanan M, Cushing A, Levinson KJ, Thomas LS, Perry Z, Queen Kr, Uehara A, tong Suxiang, Tao Y, Li Y,
Fill MM, Jones TF, Schaffner W, Dunn J. Potential tiger -to-human transmission of SARS -CoV-2 at a Tennessee Zoo: A one health
approach to outbreak investigation. ID Week 2021 Conference. Virtual.
6. Boone R, Morris R, Baynham D, Stone VN, Gibbs PL, Levinson KJ , Steece R. Analysis of a short tandem repeat genotyping assay for
Candida auris. APHL 2021 Annual Meeting, virtual.
7. Artus A, Cossaboom C, Haberling D, Sutherland G, Galloway R, Villarma A, Browne AS, Carillo M, Delgado D, Doyle J, Eboh V, Francis VB,
Freeman B, Gaub K, Harrison C, Heinzerling A, Joseph J, Levinson K, McDonald R, McPherson TD, Rhodes H, Kines L, Pompey, Prosper
A, Roth J, Adams C, Cranford H, LaPlace Ekpo L, Griles A, Guendel I, Jou J, Ritter J, Ellis BR, Hoffmaster A, Walke H, Schafer IJ, Ellis
EM. Seroprevalence of Human Leptospirosis in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 11 th International Leptospirosis Conference July 2019.
Vancouver, BC, Canada.
8. Wilson P, Levinson K , Miller M, Moylan VJ, Betancourt RL, Thorne LB, and T. Belhorn. Fatal Clostridium difficile Infection in a 4 -month
old: Straying from the norm of asymptomatic carriage? ID Week 2018 National Conference, San Francisco, California.
9. Leal S, Popowitch E, Levinson K , Gilligan P, and M. Miller. Quantitative thresholds improve the accuracy of PCR adjudication in the 2 -
step algorithm enabling more accurate detection of Clostridium difficile infection. 2018 Clinical Virology Symposium, Palm Be ach, FL.
10. Levinson, K., M. Mash, M. Miller, S. Greene, and T. Lawson. Application of Matrix -Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization -Time of Flight
(MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometry for Identification of Campylobacter jejuni in the Public Health Laboratory. APHL 2018 Annual
Meeting, Pasadena, CA.
11. K. Levinson, I. Hollis, M. Jones, A. Lachiewicz, J. Katz, D. van Duin, and L. Bartelt. Emergence of Daptomycin Resistant Staphylococcus
Epidermidis during Treatment of VAD-Associated Bacteremia. International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation 2018 Conference,
Nice, France.
12. Cline, A., R. Jhaveri, K. Levinson, and M. Miller. Rapid Detection of Pediatric Bacteriuria Using Narrow Angle Forward Laser Scattering
Technology (NAFLST) with Bacterioscan. ID Week 2017 National Conference, San Diego, California.
13. *Levinson K ., M. Dickinson, S. Wirth, M. Anand, D.J. Baker, D. Bopp, L. Thompson, K.A. Musser, P. Lapierre, and W.J. Wolfgang.
Integrating Whole Genome Sequencing of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis into the Public Health Laboratory for Surveill ance and
Outbreak Investigations. ASM Conference on Rapid Next -Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatic Pipelines for Enhanced Molecular
Epidemiologic Investigation of Pathogen. September 2015, Washington DC.
*Won Best Poster Award for the conference
14. Levinson K., D. Hindes, S. Giffen, E. Bruger, C. Waters, and N. Mantis. The Impact of an Anti -LPS Monoclonal IgA Antibody on Vibrio
cholerae Motility, Signaling, and Exopolysaccharide Production. ASM General Meeting. May 2015, New Orleans, Louisiana.
K. Levinson, page 8

15. Levinson K. , M. De Jesus, J. Ault, R. Cole, B. Koestler, C. Waters and N. Mantis. Mechanisms of IgA -mediated Immunity to Vibrio
cholerae at Mucosal Surfaces. NY Upstate Immunology Conference. October 2014, Bolton Landing, New York.
16. Levinson K., J. Ault, R. Cole, B. Koestler, C. Waters and N. Mantis. Response of Vibrio cholerae to a Protective Anti -LPS Monoclonal IgA
Antibody. ASM General Meeting. May 2014, Boston, Massachusetts.
17. Levinson K., J. Ault, B. Koestler, R. Johnson, C. Waters and N. Mantis. Exposure of Vibrio cholerae to Protective LPS-Specific IgG and IgA
Antibodies: Impact on Motility, Agglutination, Morphology, and cyclic -di-GMP Levels. ASM General Meeting. May 2013, Denver,
Colorado.
18. Levinson, K., A. Van Stelten, R. Volk, M. Pentella, L. Des Jardin, and S. Jirsa. Comparison of Test Methods for Influenza B Virus. 26 th
Annual Clinical Virology Symposium. April 2010, Daytona Beach, Florida.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS:
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)

EXTERNAL COURSES:
2021 LEAD Tennessee Leadership Program, State of Tennessee, Nashville, TN
2019 Supervisor Certificate Program, State of New Hampshire, Concord, NH
2014 Advanced Course in Immunology, American Association of Immunologists, Boston, MA
2012 Advanced Bacterial Genetics Course, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Long Island, NY

GRANTS, HONORS & AWARDS:
2018 North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) $2k Grant Award, UNC Chapel Hill, NC
2018 Travel Award, APHL Annual Meeting, Pasadena, CA
2017 Infectious Diseases Fellows Program, ASM Microbe Meeting, New Orleans, LA
2015 Best Poster Award, ASM Conference on Rapid Next- Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics
Pipelines for Enhanced Molecular Epidemiologic Investigation of Pathogens, Washington, DC
2015 Travel Award, Eastern NY Branch ASM, General Meeting, Boston, MA
2014 Travel Award, Eastern NY Branch ASM, General Meeting, Denver, CO
2013-2015 Bi odefense & Emerging Infectious Diseases (BD-EID) T32 Training Award, National Institute of Allergy
& Infectious Disease (NIAID), Albany, NY
2009 Deans Award for Superior Academics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
2007 Senior Gold Axe Award, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
2005, 2006 Best Student Presentation Award for Poster Presentation, Northern Arizona University
Undergraduate Research & Design Symposium, Flagstaff, AZ
2003-2007 Catch the Dream Academic Scholarship, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ

TEACHING & MENTORSHIP:
2024-Present Mentor; serving as primary mentor to the CDC Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS) fellow (Dr. Mitchell
Ramuta) during his 2 year fellowship; TN State Public Health Laboratory, Nashville, TN.
2021-2024 Mentor; serving as secondary mentor to the APHL Antimicrobial Resistance Fellow s (Dr. Jillian Socea,
Dr. Leandra Jones) during their 2-year fellowship; TN State Public Health Laboratory, Nashville, TN.
2020 Mentor; served as secondary mentor to the APHL Antimicrobial Resistance Fellow (RaNashia Boone)
during her 1-year fellowship; TN State Public Health Laboratory, Nashville, TN.
K. Levinson, page 9
2017 Lecturer; Medical Student Integration Course: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; UNC School of Medicine,
Chapel Hill, NC.
2017 Lectur er; taught the Salmonella section for Epid 751 Emerging Infectious Diseases Course; UNC School
of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC.
2017 Lecturer; taught the Vibrio cholerae section for Epid 751 Emerging Infectious Diseases Course; UNC
School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC.
2017 Lecturer; presented on Clostridium difficile Testing Algorithms: A Comparison of Approaches at the
Clinical Pathology Resident Conference; UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
2017 Lecturer; presented case report on Legionella longbeachae at weekly Dept. of Infectious Disease
Seminar; UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
2017 Lecturer; presented Case Studies in Molecular Microbiology in the annual Dept. of Pathology
Molecular Diagnostics Course; UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
2017 Lecturer; presented Vibrio Boards Review for Dept. of Pediatric Infectious Disease, UNC School of
Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
2017 Lecturer; Medical Student Integration Course: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; UNC School
of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
2017 Lect urer; presented on Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria in Cystic Fibrosis and Bronchiectasis Patients at
the Clinical Pathology Resident Conference; UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
2017 Lecturer; presented on Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii at Dept. of Pathology Molecular Case
Conference, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
2016 Lecturer; Medical Student Integration Course: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; UNC School of Medicine,
Chapel Hill, NC.
2017-2018 Resea rch Mentor; mentored 2 students in a study that evaluated a novel selective medium for the
isolation of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM); Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, UNC Hospital,
Chapel Hill, NC.
2014-2016 Mentor; paired with an incoming first -year PhD student at the beginning of each academic year.
Served as a resource as they navigated the program, coursework, and laboratory rotations; SUNY
Albany & Wadsworth Center, NY State Dept. of Health, Albany, NY.
2012-2016 Research Mentor; mentored 6 students on independent research projects relating to pathogen -
antibody interactions; Mantis Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, NY State Dept. of Health, Albany, NY.
2006-2009 Mentor; mentored 3 summer interns on media preparation, quality control checks, equipment
maintenance, and receiving laboratory samples; State of Alaska Environmental Health Laboratory,
Anchorage, AK.
2004-2005 Lecturer; taught introductory college course entitled “First Year Experience 101” to freshmen
undergraduate students. Served as a mentor and school liaison to incoming students during their first
semester; Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ.
OUTREACH & VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE:
2022 Presented “The art of science communication ” at CDC Laboratory Leadership Science Seminar Series
on LLS Alumni as Leaders: Fellowship Training Shapes Public Health Practice, virtual.
2021 Served as a panelist discussing American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) board exam
preparation at the APHL Board Certification Exam Boot Camp meeting, virtual.
2019 Presented on the New York measles outbreak response at the NH Laboratory Response Network (LRN)
quarterly meeting, Concord, NH.
K. Levinson, page 10

2019 Presented on fellowship and career options in clinical and public health microbiology at the Career
Exploration Session during the ASM Microbe Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
2019 Presented “ Finding Legionella in a tourist town: What Jaws, drones, and hot tubs taught me about
public health partnerships ” at the Junior Awards for Microbiology (JAM) talk seminar series;
Wadsworth Center, NY State Public Health Laboratory, Albany, NY.
2018 Presented on New Hampshire Legionella outbreak response at the NH LRN quarterly meeting,
Concord, NH.
2017 Presented “ Exploring the diversity of a public health career ” at laboratory Lunch & Learn; North
Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health, Raleigh, NC.
2017 Served on career panel for the live session entitled “Microbiology careers: An insiders’ guide to finding
a job”, ASM Live Theater at Microbe 2017; New Orleans, LA.
2015 Created and taught a module entitled “Bridging the gap between biological science and public health”
to high school science students; New Visions High School Program, Albany, NY.
2013 Created and taught a module entitled “ Molecular Epidemiology: Where public health intersects with
science and medicine” to high school science students; New Visions High School Program, Albany, NY.
2010 Creat ed and taught a module on food safety and epidemiological investigations to middle school
students; STEM Conference, State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa, Coralville, IA.
E
xecutive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004
D
r. Kara Levinson
D
r. Kara Levinson is currently the Director of the Tennessee State
Public Health Laboratory.
After obtaining her PhD, Dr. Levinson completed a CPEP fellowship in
clinical microbiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
She then joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
as a Laboratory Leadership Service Fellow, where she focused on
laboratory management and outbreak response at the New Hampshire
public health laboratory.
A Tennessee resident, Dr. Levinson earned her Bachelor of Science in
microbiology from Northern Arizona University, her Master of Public
Health in hospital and molecular epidemiology from the University of
Michigan, and her PhD in immunology and infectious disease at the State University of New York.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: October 21, 2025
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a Resolution appointing Dr. Kara Levinson to the
Science Advisory Board
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced Resolution and
found it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
hesitate to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at
202-727-0872, or me at 202-724-7681.
______________________________
Elizabeth Cavendish