Joanne Mei

Recipient of the Robert Guthrie Award 2021

Dr Joanne V. Mei studied Chemistry and Entomology at the University of Massachusetts (M.Sc 1988) and subsequently did her PhD thesis at the same university entitled “The Use of Enzyme Immunoassays for the Quantitative Analysis of an Insect Growth Regulator and Insect Juvenile Hormone from Environmental and Biological Matrices” (PhD 1992). She was hired by CDC, Atlanta (GA) in 1991  as a Research Chemist in various capacities of clinical chemistry and protein measurement standardisation, until 1994 when she began work on quality assurance of dried blood spot materials and methods.

From 2008 onwards she assumed the position of Lead Research Chemist, Chief of the Newborn Screening Quality Assurance Program (NSQAP) overseeing the manufacture of dried blood spot materials for quality control and proficiency testing programs for the quality assurance of newborn screening methods, as well as oversight for the development of more than 30 quarterly, annual, and semi-annual, proficiency testing and quality control summary reports; individualized performance evaluations; shipping logistics for close to 700 U.S. and international laboratories in 87 countries; and the oversight for data-reporting systems. NSQAP administers the distribution and data collection of 11 quality control and 16 proficiency testing programs. Dr. Mei supervises a diverse group of scientists and professionals with PhDs, Masters, Bachelors, and information technology degrees. In 2017, under Dr. Mei’s leadership, the Newborn Screening and Molecular Biology Branch attained accreditation to ISO/IEC 17043 for proficiency testing providers which was the first entity within CDC to achieve this milestone.

Dr Mei is the recipient of a number of CDC-, AACC- and NCEH Awards. She served on CDC Committees and was involved in the organisation of a series of US and international conferences, including giving invited presentations. She is a current member of the CLSI Expert Panel on Newborn Screening; she was Secretary of the International Society for Neonatal Screening (2013-2019); and since 2019, chair of the ISNS Guidelines and Quality Committee.

Dr Mei is (co-)author of more than 70 publications and book chapters