About
Dr. Romesh Gautom has been the Director of the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) State Public Health Laboratories (PHL) since 2001. Dr. Gautom has been working at the PHL since 1996. He began as a Molecular Epidemiologist after successfully completing the Committee on Postgraduate Educational Program’s (CPEP) approved Clinical Microbiology and Public Health postdoctoral program at the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle. His role as Molecular Epidemiologist was to bring rapid and reliable molecular technologies onboard to enhance the public health delivery system in the state.
Dr. Gautom has broad technical experience in clinical microbiology and public health. His experience ranges from developing and implementing new technologies to providing scientific and managerial leadership focused on improving public health at local, state, national, and international levels. He has extensive experience in strategic and operational planning of infectious/communicable disease programs. Dr. Gautom has published over 40 research papers, and a book chapter and abstracts in clinical microbiology, laboratory medicine, and infectious disease outbreak investigations.
His scientific inclination has always been directed towards formulating, developing, and implementing methodologies to protect people and their communities from the threat of diseases. He has mentored Post-Doctoral Fellows and scientists from other countries, University of Washington and those that are sponsored by the CDC to work at the WA-PHL.