Joshua TobiasPh.D., CC (NRCC)

Joshua Tobias joined the Kentucky Department for Public Health in 2009 upon completion of a bachelor’s degree in biology from Georgetown College and a Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Kentucky. He also holds a board certification in clinical chemistry from the National Registry of Certified Chemists. He began his career in the Kentucky Newborn Screening Laboratory. Shortly after joining the Newborn Screening Laboratory, he transferred to the Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) Laboratory. While in this laboratory, his work focused on epidemiologic surveillance, where he worked closely with the Reportable Disease section in the Division of Epidemiology. The goal of this work is protection of both the consumer and the food supply within the Commonwealth. In 2012, the PFGE laboratory played a major role in tracing a Salmonella outbreak to cantaloupes. In 2017, the PFGE laboratory transitioned to Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), allowing for more discriminatory power in outbreak investigation. Currently, the laboratory is part of the newly formed Sequencing Section within the Division of Laboratory Services. Joshua currently works with enteric bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, depending on the needs of the section and the laboratory. Joshua resides in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife and two children.