Kavya Chitrapadi Somayaji, MS, MB( ASCP)

Clinical Reference Lab Supervisor

Email: kavya.somayaji@uttyler.edu
Department: Mycobacteria and Nocardia Laboratory

Clinical and/or Research Interests:

I joined the Mycobacteria/Nocardia Laboratory as a volunteer in September 2019, contributing to data entry, Quality Management activities, and projects involving Omadacycline and Eravacycline. Currently, I serve as the Clinical Reference Laboratory Supervisor, assisting in the oversight of both the molecular diagnostics and antimicrobial susceptibility testing sections. My work includes sequencing of partial 16S rRNA, rpoB, erm(41), and erm(39) gene regions for the identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and other aerobic actinomycetes. I am also involved in studying inducible macrolide resistance mechanisms, specifically erm(55), in NTM. In addition to diagnostic and resistance testing, I have played an active role in developing protocols for DNA extraction, library preparation, and downstream analysis for whole genome sequencing (WGS). Over the past five years, I have worked extensively in the Mycobacteria/Nocardia laboratory, with a focus on the identification and characterization of NTM, particularly various subspecies of Mycobacterium abscessus. This work has contributed to understanding patterns of macrolide resistance and supported several smaller research projects involving NTM.