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Microbiological and Chemical Exposure Assessment Staff

Swinburne A. J. Augustine (Jason)

Title: Research Microbiologist/Immunologist

EPA Division: Microbiological and Chemical Research Division

EPA Branch: Microbial Exposure Research Branch

Narrative:
Augustine’s research is aimed at developing and applying rapid, cost-effective, sensitive and multiplexed methods to determine/measure human exposure to environmental pathogens. His work addresses a significant gap in the microbial exposure framework, bridging the gap between occurrences in the environment and actual human exposure. This work uses human saliva as a source of salivary antibodies against waterborne, food-borne and airborne pathogens. Using salivary antibodies as a source of biomarkers of exposure is relatively easy and cheap and, most importantly, can be collected from children without much difficulty. This work is based on the Luminex microsphere platform for multiplexing numerous antigens to known environmental pathogens and studying them simultaneously in small quantities of saliva. Data collected will be used to assess and manage risks of exposure in specific communities and in the general population.

Education/Training:

Ph.D. Microbiology/Immunology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, 2006 B.S. Biology, Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville, TN 1999
A.A.S, General Studies, Georgia Military College, Ft. Gordon, GA 1995
Practical Nurse Diploma, US Army Academy of Health Sciences, Ft. Sam Houston, TX 1993

Professional Experience:

Research Microbiologist, Microbial Assessment Research Branch, U.S. EPA, NERL, 2008-present
Research Biologist, Biohazard Assessment Research Branch, U.S. EPA, NERL, 2007 – 2008
Research Associate, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 2006 - 2006
Graduate Assistant, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, 1999 - 2006
Practical Nurse, Nursing Resource Solutions, Nashville, TN, 1996 - 2006
U.S. Army Medical Specialist/Nurse, Ft. Bragg, NC/Ft. Gordon, GA, 1988 – 1996

Professional Societies and Affiliations:

AAI- The American Association of Immunologists
ASM- The American Society for Microbiology
Sigma Zeta- The National Math and Science Honor Society
Phi Delta Lambda- The National Honor Society of the Universities of the Nazarene Church

Select Awards and Honors:

Superior Achievement Award, U.S. EPA, 2008
EPA BARB on-the-spot award for participation in Branch Technical meetings, 2007
EPA BARB on-the-spot award for participation in Branch Journal Club, 2007
EPA BARB on-the-spot award for founding membership on the Steering Committee of NCET- Network for Cincinnati EPA Trainees, 2007
Meharry Medical College Student Research Day, Grand Prize, 2005
National Dean’s List Recognition Award, 2005
American Association of Immunologists Minority Scientist Travel Award, 2004 and 2005
Clare and William H. Newman Scholarship, Meharry Medical College, 2003
Elizabeth McDaniel-Woodard Memorial Scholarship, Meharry Medical College, 2001
Meritorious Achievement in Biology Award, Trevecca Nazarene University, 1999

Select Presentations:

Simmons K.J., Curioso C, Eason T, Griffin SM, Fout GS, Wade T, Augustine S.A.J. Development of a rapid and sensitive saliva-based, multiplex immunoassay to measure human exposure to waterborne pathogens. The International Society for Exposure Science, Baltimore, MD, 2011.
Simmons, K.J., Curioso, C., Eason, T., Griffin, S., Fout, G.S., Wade, T., Egorov, A., and Augustine, S.A.J. A novel multiplexed immunoassay using salivary antibodies to detect human exposure to waterborne pathogens in drinking and recreational water. American Association of Immunologists, San Francisco, CA, 2011.
Augustine, S.A.J, LF Villegas, MW Ware, SL Hayes, MJ See, JP Dubey and EN Villegas. 2007. In vitro cell culture and real-time, reverse-transcriptase PCR-based assays to detect infective Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. Presented at 108th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Boston, MA. June 1-5, 2008.

Published & Presented Research (1999-Present)

Contact Info:

Swinburne A. J. Augustine (Jason)
Microbiological and Chemical Exposure Assessment Research Division
National Exposure Research Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati OH 45268
Telephone: 513-569-7132
Email: Augustine.swinburne@epa.gov