FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           Connecticut Department of Public Health

April 22, 2008                                         Contact:  William Gerrish

                                                                (860) 509-7270

Hartford – The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that John Fontana, Ph.D. is the new Director of the Connecticut Public Health Laboratory.  

“Dr. Fontana’s main priorities will be to work closely with laboratory staff, other DPH programs and all the users of our laboratory to enhance our department’s overall laboratory services,” stated DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.  He said that other important responsibilities for Dr. Fontana include involvement in the design of a new Public Health Laboratory to be built in Rocky Hill and the implementation of a new state-of-the-art laboratory information management system.  

“I am deeply appreciative of the support from Commissioner Galvin, his management team and the laboratory staff.  I truly look forward to serving the residents of Connecticut,” stated Dr. Fontana.

Since 2006, Dr. Fontana served as Chief of Biological Sciences section at the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory.  Prior to coming to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Dr. Fontana worked at the Massachusetts State Laboratory Institute for 18 years where he was involved in the development of new laboratory testing programs such as DNA fingerprinting of foodborne pathogens and health-care acquired infections, antibiotic resistance surveillance testing.

Dr. Fontana received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  He is a member of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the American Society of Microbiology, and the American Board of BioAnalysis.  Dr. Fontana resides in Newton, MA with his wife and two children. 

The Connecticut Public Health Laboratory provides a wide variety of microbiological, biochemical, environmental and radiological testing services to the DPH and other state agencies.  The Public Health Laboratory also provides references services to hospital and clinical laboratories, and testing services to the state’s 169 municipalities.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the state’s leader in public health policy and advocacy with a mission to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of our state.  To contact the department, please visit its website at www.ct.gov/dph  or call (860) 509-7270.

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