Kirsten St. George, MAppSc, PhD, F(AAM), is the Director of Virology and Chief of Viral Diseases (LVD) at the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, and a Clinical Professor in the Biomedical Sciences Department at the University of Albany. The LVD comprises service laboratories and research teams, including specialty reference services in viral encephalitis, vaccine-preventable diseases, enteric viruses, and antiviral drug resistance. Within the LVD, she also directs the Research and Development Group, investigating new testing platforms and chemistries and studies on the genomic characterization and evolution of multiple viruses. She is the Principal Investigator for the National Reference Centers for Influenza Surveillance and Vaccine Preventable Diseases and has federal funding for additional influenza surveillance programs and corporate support for diagnostic device development. Dr. St. George is also the Scientific Director of the New York State Sequencing Consortium and the current lead laboratory scientist for New York State's investigations on additional pathogens for wastewater surveillance. She is the recipient of five New York State Commissioner Awards for response work on major disease outbreaks, the 2017 International Career Achievement Award in Diagnostic Virology from the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology, and the 2018 University of South Australia Alumni Award for innovative and pioneering work in the recipient's field of practice.