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Faculty and students from the Division of Medical Laboratory Sciences participated in the 2024 Texas Association of Clinical Laboratory Science (TACLS) Annual Meeting, held April 10–12 at Lake Granbury Conference Center.

Assistant Professor Tiffany Wafford, MSTM, MLS(ASCP), SBB, and Assistant Professor/Clinical Brittany Teeter, MNS, CLS, MLS (ASCP), both won the Key to the Future Award, which recognizes ASCLS members who have demonstrated leadership potential and provides structured mentoring to them. In addition, Wafford, who is the TACLS membership chair, was sworn in as the 2024 TACLS president-elect. 

Wafford, Teeter and Director of Clinical Education and Assistant Professor Cordy Kudika, MA, CHS, (ABHI) presented at the conference. Wafford presented “Platelet Transfusion Refractoriness: From Diagnosis to Management;” Teeter presented “Defending Against COVID-19: The Critical Role of Vitamin D in Immune Health;" and Kudika presented “From Discovery to Destiny: An Introduction to HLA and My Path Toward Specialization in Histocompatibility.”

This year was the first time MLS students presented their own research at the meeting. “They got to network and experience a conference, and hopefully that will inspire them to continue in their professional association,” Wafford said.

The top three finishers in the student poster competition were all from �����Թ�, including:

1st place: “Changes in antibiotic resistance over time and across patient settings: A retrospective study”

• Presenting author: Malarie Dozier; faculty PI: Tiffany R. Wafford
• Co-authors: Jimmy Dang, Fernando Lozano-Garcia, Ashley Palos, Liliana Perez, Terri Murphy-Sanchez

2nd place: “Retrospective study evaluating HLA Matchmaker and PIRCHE-II in the prediction of graft rejection and de novo HLA antibody formation in pediatric kidney transplant recipients” 

• Presenting author: Kassandra Carranza; PI: Kelley Hitchman, PhD
• Co-authors: Ciliana Ordaz, Amanda Arce, Yaritzi Garcia-Gibson, Cordelia Kudika, Tiffany R. Wafford, Daniel Ranch 

3rd place: “A comparative study of foodborne illness in South-Central Texas”

• Presenting author: Hannah Palacios; faculty PI: Tiffany R. Wafford
• Co-authors: Marlena Cary, Diana Mendez, Cynthia Rodriguez, Bianca Trevino, Terri Murphy-Sanchez 

Two teams of Medical Laboratory Sciences students competed in the Student Bowl, with the team comprised of Lindsey Adelhardt, Kassandra Carranza, Hannah Palacios, Enrique Navejar and Diego Cruz placing second. Additionally, two student teams competed in a lab Olympics event and were the top two finishers:

• 1st place: Malarie Dozier, Cambria Robbiano, Roberto Barroso, Bianca Trevino, Ronna Dennis, Professor Wafford
• 2nd place: Lindsey Adelhardt, Kassandra Carranza, Hannah Palacios, Enrique Navejar, Diego Cruz, Professor Kudika