WORCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Anne Marie Comeau, Ph.D., deputy director of the New England Newborn Screening Program and professor in UMass Medical Schools Department of Pediatrics has been awarded the 2013 Harry Hannon Laboratory Improvement Award in Newborn Screening.

The Hannon Award is an international tribute, presented annually to a person judged by a selection committee to have made significant contributions to improving the quality of laboratory results for the newborn screening system. The award is named for Dr. Harry Hannon, a pioneer in newborn screening and the former chief of newborn screening for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The award was presented earlier this month in Atlanta by the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), at a meeting held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of newborn screening by national and international professional organizations.

What a tremendous honor and recognition of Dr. Comeaus years of dedicated research and service, said Joyce A. Murphy, the executive vice chancellor for UMass Medical Schools Commonwealth Medicine division. Her work, and the work of the entire team at the New England Newborn Screening Program touches the lives of countless children in New England and around the world. On behalf of the entire UMass Medical School community, I offer my heartfelt congratulations for this well-deserved award.

Dr. Comeau, who has worked with the New England Newborn Screening Program since 1988, was nominated by colleagues from across the country including a nomination from Dr. Hannon himself.

I am so honored. Its a humbling experience to receive recognition awarded by people for whom I have great respect and admiration, all the while knowing that it takes a village, to do this work said Dr. Comeau. In addition to thanking the nomination and selection committees, I want to thank my colleagues at the New England Newborn Screening Program, especially our director, Dr. Roger Eaton. Any contributions I have made have been assisted greatly by the support and shared commitment of our entire team.

The APHL cited Dr. Comeaus significant role in the advancement of newborn screening in the United States. The Association highlighted her tireless research efforts on severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) detection, the first screen to require a high-throughput DNA-based test and the first screen to include the discipline of clinical immunology.

SCID is a rare genetic disorder in which affected children have no resistance to infection by bacteria or viruses. The syndrome is often fatal if not detected early in a childs life. When detected by newborn screening, SCID infants are successfully treated with bone marrow transplant.

Dr. Comeaus SCID work involved both laboratory development and the formation of a multidisciplinary SCID newborn screening workgroup.

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Newborn Screening Leader from UMass Medical School Receives Prestigious Award