Title: Bureau Chief and Director of Laboratories
Company: State of Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Location: Topeka, Kansas, United States
Sameer Sakallah, Bureau Chief and Director of Laboratories at the State of Kansas Department of Health and Environment, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for dedication, achievements and leadership in Molecular Diagnostics and Public and Global Health.
Dr. Sakallah has dedicated his career to the field of molecular diagnostics, with a particular focus on DNA-based diagnostics since 1992. Currently serving as the bureau chief and director of laboratories at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in Topeka, he has been in this role since 2023. As such, Dr. Sakallah is tasked with ensuring employee morale and retention while also coaching and mentoring his team. Furthermore, he provides clear direction for the department and ensures that its significant budget is sourced from various funding streams. Dr. Sakallah’s expertise in public health and global health has earned him widespread recognition.
Before his current position, Dr. Sakallah was a laboratory director and technical consultant for Lighthouse Lab Services from 2020 to 2022. During this time, he played a crucial role in designing laboratory layouts, procuring necessary programs and monitoring validation methods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Sakallah’s contributions were instrumental in ensuring that these laboratories met operational standards.
In 2020, Dr. Sakallah served as the interim laboratory director at B.E. Smith Interim Services Inc. in Hebron, Kentucky, where he provided leadership and guidance during a period of transition. From 2017 to 2020, he was a quality assurance specialist and project lead at Family Health International (FHI360) in Afghanistan, focusing on implementing quality management systems based on ISO 17025 standards.
Dr. Sakallah’s career also included roles as a technical consultant for Project Hope and Social Impact, an organization with numerous local and international locations, from 2012 to 2014, and for Chemonics International in Afghanistan between 2014 and 2016. Earlier, he excelled as a senior technical advisor for Crown Agents from 2007 to 2012, during which time he first began focusing on global health initiatives addressing HIV-related issues.
As a manager of molecular diagnostics at the New Hampshire Department of Public Health from 1999 to 2007, Dr. Sakallah played a key role in developing a new laboratory building valued at over $70 million. This position followed his foundational role as a program coordinator at UPMC, a world-renowned nonprofit health care provider and insurer in Pittsburgh, between 1992 and 1998.
Dr. Sakallah’s academic background laid a strong foundation for his illustrious career. He earned a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Kuwait University in 1977, a Master of Science in biochemistry from Duquesne University, a Catholic institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1979, and a Doctor of Philosophy in medical biochemistry from West Virginia University in Morgantown in 1983. Dr. Sakallah’s educational journey was influenced by his family’s emphasis on education and the mentorship of Larry Harris and Bill Marzluff during his graduate studies.
Apart from his education, Dr. Sakallah is an esteemed member of the Association of Public Health Laboratories and the Global Health Committee. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his contributions to public health, notably receiving the Governor’s Initiative Award for Excellence in Responding to Communicable Disease Crisis. As he looks toward the future, Dr. Sakallah remains committed to continuing his work as a consultant in health laboratories, driven by his passion for nature and understanding of life’s passage of time.
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