<p>Holly Ahern, MS, MT(ASCP) is an Associate Professor of Microbiology at SUNY Adirondack, and has previous work experience in clinical laboratories and as a laboratory director for educational laboratories. She is the author of scholarly articles and nationally published textbooks, including the first microbiology laboratory manual available to students as an open educational resource (OER). She became deeply involved in the Lyme disease research and advocacy space as a result of her family’s devastating personal experience with Lyme disease. As a scientist and Lyme disease patient advocate, Holly has served as a peer reviewer for journals that publish Lyme disease research, and is a grant reviewer for the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. She has been appointed to serve on state and federal working groups convened to review and develop plans for improved diagnostics, treatments and prevention strategies. Holly currently serves as a judge for the LymeX Diagnostic Prize competition, a multiphase competition to accelerate the development of Lyme disease diagnostics sponsored by LymeX, a public-private partnership between the U.S Dept. of Health and Human Services and the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation. With Tammy Crawford, Ahern founded ACES Diagnostics to develop and commercialize a clinical accurate diagnostic test for Lyme disease, and serves as the company&#8217;s Chief Scientific Officer.</p>
