Texas State University-Medical Laboratory Science Program

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween!

A bit of PSA for your education from our very own Doc R!

Be safe and have a spoooooooooooooky night! Check out my on !

youtube.com/watch?v=AwiH420lR1c&vl=en

10/23/2026

Five questions about the pneumonic plague concerns in Russia answered by a TXST microbiology and virology specialist!

When a Russian lab worker dies from fatal pneumonia at a pathogen facility, pneumonic plague concerns arise.

Our very own Doc R Rodney Rohde explores the investigation, biosafety risks, and key facts about Y. pestis in this Q&A.

When a Russian lab worker dies from fatal pneumonia at a pathogen facility, pneumonic plague concerns arise. Explore the investigation, biosafety risks, and key facts about Y. pestis in this Q&A.

10/21/2026

🔬🎃 It’s almost time for ! Let’s celebrate the people behind the science!

Medical laboratory professionals are essential to healthcare, helping detect diseases, guide treatment decisions, and protect public health. Yet, much of their incredible work happens behind the scenes.

That’s why our Chair, Doc R Rodney Rohde, is excited to support , an initiative from the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) celebrating medical laboratory professionals through creativity, connection, and social media!

📸 How can you participate?

Join the fun beginning October 26 by sharing photos inspired by the daily prompts. Show the world what happens in your lab, celebrate your colleagues, and help make the vital work of laboratory professionals more visible.

Every post is an opportunity to tell our story, build awareness, and inspire the next generation of laboratory professionals.

Let’s make laboratory science visible, valued, and celebrated! 🧪🧬

👉 Join the conversation and share your creativity!

➡️ Share this post and support other posts!




CC: TXST College of Health Professions TACLS (Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science) American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science ASCLS Region VII Nathalie Austin Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) T.A.C.L.S. Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science Crispina Harris Autumn Vela Texas State University-Medical Laboratory Science Program InfectionControl.tips ASCP Career Ambassadors 2.0 ASCLS Pennsylvania ASCLS-Wyoming ASCLS-OR ASCLS - North Carolina ASCLS Hawaii ASCLS-Kansas American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Iowa (ASCLS-IA) ASCLS - Michigan ASCP

10/18/2026

Our 1st for this academic year Texas State University

TXST College of Health Professions

Join us again in November or for 2 more opps in Spring 2027!

Super Proud of our majors all the way from Spain 🇪🇸 (Doc R Rodney Rohde)

10/01/2026

🦠 Rabies is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms develop—but it is also nearly 100% preventable with timely action.

In my latest interview with Contagion Live, I discuss the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-reported 17% rise in calls about potential human rabies exposures this summer and why that does not necessarily mean human rabies cases are increasing.

The key is recognizing an exposure and making the right post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) decision.

🔬 A few reminders:

• Never wait for symptoms after a potential exposure.

• Immediately wash bites or scratches thoroughly with soap and water.

• Seek medical/public health guidance promptly.

• Correct administration of rabies vaccine and, when indicated, HRIG can be lifesaving.

• Surveillance, laboratory testing, animal vaccination, and public health remain essential.

Rabies is a powerful reminder of why One Health matters—human, animal, laboratory, and environmental health are inseparable.

Awareness → Assessment → Action → Prevention.



Listen 🦻 to our and read along with the interview that our Program Director and Texas State University Professor, Rodney Rohde PhD conducted for 2026!

CC: TACLS (Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science) TXST College of Health Professions ASCP American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science ASCLS Region VII Austin Community College District Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) ASM

Following World Rabies Day and a CDC health advisory on a 17% rise in exposure-related calls, Rodney E. Rohde, PhD, explains what the increase means, what people should do when they have an animal bite or scratch, and how clinicians should assess risk and administer post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

09/28/2026

is September 28 each year in honor of Louis Pasteur who created the lifesaving .

Learn more about bat rabies in our Chair's ASM YouTube video!

Bats rarely bite, but when they do, the consequences can be deadly. While dog and terrestrial wildlife bites once topped the list, it’s now bats that are behind most rabies deaths in America. Explore how these winged creatures became the leading source of rabies fatalities in recent decades.

Bats rarely bite, but when they do, the consequences can be deadly....

09/22/2026

🩸 BobCats Save Lives — and Medical Laboratory Science helps make every donation count.

We’re proud to see blood drives returning to Texas State University through the “Cats Save Lives!” initiative and a partnership with We Are Blood. The Sept. 24 , 2026, drive aims to bring together more than 70 donors to strengthen the Central Texas blood supply.

For our TXST Medical Laboratory Science Program, blood donation also provides an important opportunity to highlight what happens after the donation.

Behind every safe transfusion are medical laboratory professionals performing blood typing, antibody screening, compatibility testing, quality assurance, and other critical testing that helps ensure the right blood reaches the right patient safely.

As our own Clinical Assistant Professor Nathalie Austin, MBA,MLS(ASCP) shared, donated blood may “save a life,” extend a life, or improve someone’s health.

🩸 Donate blood. Save lives. Recognize the laboratory professionals behind transfusion medicine.

Proud to see our Bobcat community supporting patients across Central Texas!



ASCP American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science ASCLS Region VII TACLS (Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science) TXST College of Health Professions Texas State University AABB

TXST student organizations partner with We Are Blood for fall campus blood drives, helping strengthen the Central Texas blood supply and support patients in need.

09/17/2026

09/08/2026

🧬 Could precision diagnostics help us bring an older antibiotic back into the fight against gonorrhea?

In my latest From Pathogen to Infectious Disease Diagnosis interview with Live, I spoke with Lao-Tzu Allan-Blitz, MD, MPH, about an exciting example of how the medical laboratory can directly shape antimicrobial stewardship and patient care.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae has developed resistance to nearly every antibiotic used against it. Yet roughly 60% of circulating U.S. strains may still be susceptible to ciprofloxacin. Rapid molecular testing targeting a key mutation at codon 91 of the gyrA gene can help predict ciprofloxacin resistance—potentially allowing clinicians to use resistance-guided therapy rather than relying solely on empiric treatment.

That is precision medicine in action: the right diagnostic → the right antimicrobial → the right patient.

It also reinforces why medical laboratory professionals must remain central to conversations about , , and the future of infectious disease care.

🎙️ Read/watch our very own Chair, Dr. Rodney Rohde in his discussion with Live:

From Pathogen to Infectious Disease Diagnosis: Rapid Genotyping Could Bring Ciprofloxacin Back for Gonorrhea Cases



https://www.contagionlive.com/view/from-pathogen-to-infectious-disease-diagnosis-rapid-genotyping-could-bring-ciprofloxacin-back-forgonorrhea-cases

Resistance-guided testing targeting a single gene mutation could let clinicians safely reintroduce ciprofloxacin for the majority of gonorrhea cases still susceptible to it, sparing ceftriaxone as resistance climbs worldwide. Lao-Tzu Allan-Blitz, MD, MPH, offers insights into his work in this area.

08/31/2026

THANK YOU! 😍

CC: Rodney Rohde TXST College of Health Professions ASCP American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science TACLS (Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science) Bonnie Rohde Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)