Clinical services at the Foundation for Blood Research include laboratory support for clinicians in the fields of general medicine and pediatrics, obstetrics, perinatology, rheumatology, infectious diseases and neurology.
Thomas B. Ledue, BA, Senior Technical Supervisor
Wendy Y. Craig, PhD, Senior Research Scientist
The Rheumatic Disease Laboratory offers tests relevant to autoimmune diseases, with expertise in immunodiagnostics including immunoflourescent antibody staining of various cell lines, ELISA and checkerboard immunoblot studies of multiple clinically relevant antibodies. The lab offers a wide range of diagnostic tests available to health care providers, hospitals, and clinical laboratories.
Andrea Pulkkinen, MS, Supervisor
The Prenatal Screening Laboratory offers state-of-the-art testing for identifying pregnancies at increased risk for open neural tube defects, Down syndrome or trisomy 18. Currently, maternal serum screening services are provided to over 75% of the pregnancies in Maine each year. The lab also offers antiphospholipid antibody, lupus-like anticoagulant, and cotinine testing.
David W. Groft, MS, Supervisor
The Molecular Genetics Laboratory provides an innovative, office-based screening program available to pregnant women and their partners. The laboratory provides a simple, inexpensive DNA-based test that will identify 80% of pregnancies that have a 1 in 4 risk of cystic fibrosis.