Rebekah V. Tiller

Experienced Microbiologist with proven experience improving scientific community by performing accurate research while complying with laboratory safety protocol and standards. Outstanding data management and report development skills contributing to research funding efforts.

• [Area of certification], [Company Name] - [Timeframe]
• [Area of certification] Training - [Timeframe]

• Diagnosing and Characterizing Human brucellosis Community of Practice, Kazakhstan Oral Presentation College Station, Texas October 21, 2024
• From Dr. Schubert to Brucella amazonensis sp. nov: 70 Years of Brucella Strain Surveillance in Brucellosis Conference Oral Presentation College Station, Texas May 18, 2024
• Diagnosing and Characterizing Human brucellosis Brucellosis Workshop Oral Presentation College Station, Texas May 17, 2024
• Reclassification of Ochrobactrum species into the Brucella genus: Diagnostic Implications Laboratory Outreach Communication System (LOCS) Oral Presentation Virtual December 9, 2022
• ISENTRY Transition to CDC’s Bacterial Special Pathogens Branch DARPA Friend or Foe Program Review Oral Presentation Virtual November 17, 2022
• Careers in the Public Health Service Texas A&M Professional Development Seminar Oral Presentation Virtual November 4, 2022
• Brucella abortus RB51 and Raw Milk Consumption: An Emerging Public Health Risk International Brucellosis Conference Oral Presentation Giulianova, Italy September 17, 2022
• Brucella abortus RB51 and Raw Milk Consumption: An Emerging Public Health Risk National Institute for Animal Agriculture Meeting Oral Presentation Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA August 11, 2022
• The New Brucella Genus Laboratory Response Network Quarterly Call Oral Presentation Virtual May 12, 2022
• Brucella abortus RB51 vaccine strain and raw milk consumption: An emerging public health risk Comparative Medicine Seminar, Emory University Oral Presentation Virtual November 19, 2021
• Brucella abortus RB51 Vaccine Strain and Raw Milk 13th Workshop of the EU Brucellosis Oral Presentation Virtual December 10, 2020
• Consumption: An Emerging Public Health Risk National Reference Laboratories Oral Presentation Virtual December 1, 2020
• Hippos, Raw Milk and Hurricanes: Field Investigations of Zoonotic Bacterial Pathogens DARPA. Service Chief Fellows Brown Bag Seminar Oral Presentation Arlington, VA December 1, 2020
• Cow 122: Story of a B. abortus RB51 Super Shedder NCEZID Science Summit Oral Presentation Atlanta, GA February 20, 2020
• Cow 122: Story of a B. abortus RB51 Super Shedder Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DHCPP) Science Seminar Oral Presentation Atlanta, GA October 16, 2019
• Cow 122: Story of a B. abortus RB51 Super Shedder Brucellosis Research Conference Oral Presentation Chicago, IL November 2, 2019
• Diagnosing and Characterizing Human brucellosis Brucellosis Workshop Oral Presentation Chicago, IL November 1, 2019
• Molecular and Microbial Approaches to Detect, Sub-type and Characterize Brucella species AOAC International, Southern Section Oral Presentation Atlanta, GA April 17, 2019
• Genetic analysis of the virB operon and rpoB genes in clinical B. melitensis isolates from patients in the United States Brucellosis Research Conference Poster Chicago, IL December 1-2, 2018
• Brucellosis: Laboratory diagnostics, advanced technology and genotyping Brucellosis workshop, Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network Sixth Regional Conference Oral Presentation Amman, Jordan March 26, 2018
• Human brucellosis associated with Brucella abortus RB51 shedding in milk, New problem? Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response Preparedness (OPHPR) Series, CDC Webinar Virtual December 21, 2017
• Use of whole-genome multi-locus sequence typing (wgMLST) for molecular surveillance Brucella species Brucellosis Research Conference Poster Chicago, IL December 2-3, 2017
• Brucella spp. On the land, in the sea and in the air! DHCPP Science Seminar Oral Presentation Atlanta, GA August 9, 2017
• Characterization of a novel International Oral New Delhi, India November
• Brucella species isolated from bats from a cave in Georgia (Caucasus) Brucellosis Research Conference Presentation 14, 2016
• Characterization of Brucella species from stranded cetaceans in the United States: 2010 to present International Brucellosis Research Conference Oral Presentation Berlin, Germany September 10-14, 2014
• Use of BioNumerics and MALDI-TOF MS Data for the Identification of Brucella species International Brucellosis Research Conference Oral Presentation Berlin, Germany September 10-14, 2014
• Brucella: An Expanding Genus Tuanshan Hill Anti-Emerging Infectious Diseases Forum Oral Presentation Beijing, China January 6, 2014
• Laboratory Diagnosis of Human and Animal Brucellosis Brucellosis workshop, Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) Oral Presentation Marrakech, Morocco December 7, 2013

• Science fair judge and advisor- STEM One Fair, MLK Jr. Middle School 2023, 2024
• PTA treasurer, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School 2022-2024
• Board Member, Trustee- Salem Campground 2021-present
• PTA treasurer, Burgess-Petersen Academy 11/2017- 6/2019
• Science fair judge- STEM One Fair, Burgess-Peterson Academy 12/2016, 12/2017
• PTA co-president, The Clifton School 7/2014-6/2015
• PTA treasurer, The Clifton School 7/2012-6/2014

• Category Collateral Duties Group/Committee Role & Impact Year(s)
• HSPAC Readiness Sub-committee: Advance Readiness Program (ARP) Training and Tracker Lead: Modernized ARP course tracker containing >51 readiness courses. Developed ARP orientation training program for PAG Technical Readiness Subgroup leads and incoming program participants. Improving readiness for 43 ARP participants. 2022-present
• USPHS Collateral Duties Group/Committee Role & Impact Year(s)
• RDF-3 Admin Section: Roster manager; tracked meta-data and availability for >170 RDF3 officers 2018-2021
• JOAG Awards Sub-committee de-identified Koop awards 2018-2019
• CDC Laboratory Professional Working Group Chair of the Lab Surge sub-group and Community Outreach Team 2016-2018
• Professional Organizations Group/Committee Role & Impact Year(s)
• COA, Atlanta Chapter Member 2014-present
• Brucellosis Research Conference Scientific Advisor 2013-present
• International Brucellosis Taxonomic Sub- Chair 2021-present
• American Society for Microbiology Member 2013-present
• Association of Public Health Laboratories Member 2013-present
• Mentoring Activities Role Year(s)
• Official Category Program Mentee, HSPAC Official Mentoring Program (P2P) 2018, 2021
• HSPAC Coaching on Demand 2023
• Other PHS/Agency Program Mentor, CDC Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology Officer Support team 2022-present
• Mentor, 4 officers at interested in the DARPA Service Chiefs Fellows Program (2 at CDC, 2 at FDA) 2021-present

• USPHS Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria CDC’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Commissioned Corps Cadre; co-team lead, managed EOC communications, mission critical list and deployment rosters for all officers at CDC during on call months 2017-2018
• Commissioned Corps Intra-Agency Deployment National COVID-19 Response COVID-19 Triage and Reporting Laboratory Supervisor; supported diagnostic testing of >5000 clinical samples; managed critical studies and diagnostic testing for surveillance and genetic sequencing studies in CDC’s Pathogen Discovery laboratory and National SARS-CoV-2 Sequencing Surveillance (NS3) efforts 3/2021-6/2021
• National COVID-19 Response CDC Occupational Health Clinic; Staffing Coordinator and front desk administrator; developed training materials and protocols used to train new FTEs reporting to the clinic; designed dynamic staffing roster for tracking over 80 staff members in alternating deployment roles. 1/2021-3/2021
• National COVID-19 Response STLT Laboratory Liaison to HHS Testing and Diagnostics Working Group; developed a communication matrix to deploy new information from TDWG to health department liaisons; Supported the award of $1.6 M to strengthen capacity in state public health laboratories 8/2020-9/2020
• National COVID-19 Response COVID-19 Triage and Reporting Laboratory Supervisor; Rapidly established a CLIA compliant COVID-19 surge laboratory at CDC to triage and process all samples submitted to CDC for SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing; Established technical workflows, protocols (n=47); Onboarded and trained 16 new laboratory staff divided into 2 isolated and alternating teams to ensure continuity of operations. 3/2020-6/2020
• CDC CDC 2024 MPOX Clade I Response MPOX Clade I International Laboratory Task Force- Burundi POC: Transported MPOX lab supplies (10K tests) and trained 6 national lab staff on biosafety and MPOX testing; improved sample collection, processing and testing capacity in Burundi ensuring rapid detection and response to MPOX at the height of the central African MPOX Clade I epidemic. 8/8/2024-10/31/2024
• Texas Brucella abortus RB51 Outbreak (CDC EOC) Brucella SME: provided critical responses to ~180 call center inquiries after the identification of a human case linked to a raw milk dairy selling products contaminated with the animal vaccine strain, B. abortus RB51 2017
• Ebola: Laboratory Task Force, CDC Emergency Operations Center (EOC) International lab lead: coordinate weekly calls with DoD and international partners to discuss laboratory testing activities 2015

• 07/2016 - Current LCDR O-4 O-6 (non-supervisory) Unit Lead SME Lead Microbiologist Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA MP-5
• 07/2021-10/2021 LCDR O-4 O-6 (non-supervisory) Director Associate Director of Laboratory Science Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA MP-5
• 09/2020-12/2020 LCDR O-4 O-6 (non-supervisory) Fellow Fellow Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Arlington, VA
• 01/2013 – 07/2016 LT O-3 O-6 (non-supervisory) SME Microbiologist Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA MP-5

• Molecular Diagnostics in Public Health USF Participant 12/12/2024
• Writing for Scholarly Publications in Public Health USF Participant 12/12/2024
• Public Health Laboratory Management II USF Participant 8/2/2024
• Bioterrorism and Biodefense USF Participant 8/2/2024
• Public Health Lab Bioinformatics USF Participant 12/8/2023
• Disease Surveillance and Monitoring USF Participant 12/8/2023
• Public Heath Lab Microbiology USF Participant 6/15/2023
• Transforming Public Health Practice USF Participant 7/22/2023
• Public Health Laboratory Safety and Security USF Participant 5/15/2023
• Practical Applications II: Public Health Leadership USF Participant 9/21/2022
• Public Health Laboratory Management I USF Participant 12/8/2022
• The Laboratory Risk Assessment Cycle APHL Participant 12/9/2021
• Coronavirus Disease( COVID-19): Biosafety on the Frontlines APHL Participant 5/7/2020
• COVID-19 Management USPHS Participant 3/2020
• Biosafety: Out of the Box! APHL Participant 10/31/2019
• Opioid Rapid Response Training (non-clinical) USPHS/RDF3 Participant 6/2019
• The Future of MALDI-TOF MS in Detecting Biothreat Agents APHL Participant 8/16/2018

• Serological Diagnosis of Brucellosis using the Rose Bengal Test: Cameroon Developed/Facilitated 8/2023
• Use of InBios Active Anthrax Detect (AAD) Plus Lateral Flow test for the Diagnosis of Human Pulmonary Anthrax: Cameroon Developed/Facilitated 8/2023
• Molecular Detection of Brucella species: Cameroon Developed/Facilitated 8/2023
• Use of InBios Active Anthrax Detect Lateral Flow test for Diagnosis of Anthrax in Animals: Cameroon Developed/Facilitated 8/2023
• Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) for genotyping Brucella species from clinical specimens: Jordan Developed/Facilitated 7/2022
• Whole Genome Sequence Analysis of Brucella genomes using BioNumerics: Jordan Developed/Facilitated 5/2021, 7/2021, 9/2021
• Brucella PCR Trainings and Laboratory Capacity Building for Brucellosis surveillance in Jordan Developed/Facilitated 10/2016, 5/2017, 3/2018, 8/2018, 11/2018, 4/2019, 8/2019
• Anthrax and Brucellosis laboratory diagnostics: Cameroon Developed/Facilitated 12/2019
• Enhancing laboratory-based surveillance of brucellosis in Pakistan Developed/Planned 11/2018
• Molecular detection of Brucella species by real-time PCR: Ethiopia Developed/Planned 4/2017
• Molecular detection of Brucella species by real-time PCR: Nairobi and Kisumu, Kenya Developed/Facilitated 7/2016
• PCR Training for Identification and Subtyping of Brucella Species, Iraq Developed/Facilitated 10/2015

• Traxler RM, Guerra MA, Morrow MG, Haupt T, Morrison J, Saah JR, Smith CG, Williams C, Fleishauer AT, Lee PA, Stande K, Trevino-Garrison I, Franklin P, Oakes P, Hand S, Shadomy SV, Blaney DD, Lehman MW, Benoit TS, Stoddard RA, Tiller RV, De BK, Bower W, Smith TL. Review of brucellosis cases from laboratory exposures in the United States in 2008 to 2011 and improved strategies for disease prevention. J Clin Microbiol. 2013 Sep;51(9):3132-6.
• Hocevar SN, Paddock CD, Spak CW, Rosenblatt R, Diaz-Luna H, Castillo I, Luna S, Friedman GC, Antony S, Stoddard RA, Tiller RV, Peterson T, Blau DM, Sriram RR,da Silva A, de Almeida M, Benedict T, Goldsmith CS, Zaki SR, Visvesvara GS, Kuehnert MJ; Microsporidia Transplant Transmission Investigation Team. Microsporidiosis acquired through solid organ transplantation: a public health investigation. Ann Intern Med. 2014 Feb 18;160(4):213-20.
• Griffith J, Blaney D, Shadomy S, Lehman M, Pesik N, Tostenson S, Delaney L, Tiller R, DeVries A, Gomez T, Sullivan M, Blackmore C, Stanek D, Lynfield R; Anthrax Investigation Team. Investigation of inhalational anthrax case, United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2014 Feb;20(2):280-3.
• Duncan CG, Tiller R, Mathis D, Stoddard R, Kersh GJ, Dickerson B, Gelatt T. Brucella placentitis and seroprevalence in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2014 May;26(4):507-512.
• Wu Q, McFee WE, Goldstein T, Tiller RV, Schwacke L. Real-time PCR assays for detection of Brucella spp. and the identification of genotype ST27 in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). J Microbiol Methods. 2014 May;108:99-104.
• Denting CM, Jacob K, Lee LV, Mendez HA, Chotikantiakis K, McDonough PL, Chico, DM, De BK, Tiller RV, Traxler RM, Campagnolo ER, Schmitt D, Guerra MA, Slavinski, SA. Human Brucella canis Infection and Subsequent Laboratory Exposures Associated with a Puppy, New York City, 2012. Zoonoses Public Health. 2014 Nov 1.
• Quance C, Robbe-Austerman S, Stuber T, Brignole T, DeBess EE, Boyd L, LeaMaster B, Tiller R, Draper J, Humphrey S, Erdman MM. Identification of Source of Brucella suis Infection in Human by Using Whole-Genome Sequencing, United States and Tonga. Emerg Infect Dis. 2016 Jan;22(1):79-82.
• Contributing author as a SPADA member: Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs) for DNA-Based Methods of Detecting Brucella suis in Field-Deployable, Department of Defense Aerosol Collection Devices. AOAC SMPR 2016.009.
• Viana MV, Wattam AR, Govil Batra D, Boisvert S, Brettin TS, Frace M, Xia F, Azevedo V, Tiller R, Hoffmaster AR. Genome Sequences of Two Brucella suis Strains Isolated from the Same Patient, 8 Years Apart. Genome Announc. 2017 Mar 2;5(9).
• Viana MV, Wattam AR, Govil Batra D, Boisvert S, Brettin TS, Frace M, Xia F, Azevedo V, Tiller R, Hoffmaster AR. Genome Sequences of Three Brucella canis Strains Isolated from Humans and a Dog. Genome Announc. 2017 Feb 23;5(8).
• Foster JT, Walker FM, Rannals BD, Hussain MH, Drees KP, Tiller RV, Hoffmaster AR, Al-Rawahi A, Keim P, Saqib M. African Lineage Brucella melitensis Isolates from Oman Livestock. Front Microbiol. 2018 Jan 15.
• Cossaboom CM, Kharod GA, Salzer JS, Tiller RV, Campbell LP, Wu K, Negrón ME, Ayala N, Evert N, Radovicz J, Shuford J, Stonecipher S. Notes from the Field: Brucella abortus Vaccine Strain RB51 Infection and Exposure Associated with Raw Milk Consumption - Wise County, Texas, 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018 Mar 9;67(9).
• Ackelsberg J, Liddicoat A, Burke T, Szymczak WA, Levi MH, Ostrowsky B, Hamula C, Patel G, Kopetz V, Saverimuttu J, Sordillo EM, D'Souza D, Mitchell EA, Lowe W, Khare R, Tang YW, Bianchi AL, Egan C, Perry MJ, Hughes S, Rakeman JL, Adams E, Kharod GA, Tiller R, Saile E, Lee S, Gonzalez E, Hoppe B, Leviton IM, Hacker S, Ni KF, Orsini RL, Jhaveri S, Mazariegos I, Dingle T, Koll B, Stoddard RA, Galloway R, Hoffmaster A, Fine A, Lee D, Dentinger C, Harrison E, Leyton M. Potential Brucellosis Risk Events in NYC Clinical Laboratories, New York City, USA, 2015 to 2017. J Clin Microbiol. 2020 Jan 28;58(2):e01096-19. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01096-19. Print 2020 Jan 28.
• Daniel C. Payne, Sarah E. Smith-Jeffcoat, Gosia Nowak, Uzo Chukwuma, Jesse R. Geibe, Robert J. Hawkins, Jeffrey A. Johnson, Natalie J. Thornburg, Jared Schiffer, Zachary Weiner, Meghan M. Mclean, Michael D. Bowen, Adam MacNeil, Monita R. Patel, Eric Deussing, CDC COVID-19 Surge Laboratory Group: Bruce L. Gillingham, SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Serologic Responses from a Sample of U.S. Navy Service Members — USS Theodore Roosevelt, April 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020 Jun 12; 69 (23).
• Dena Bushman, Karen A. Alroy, Sharon K. Greene, Page Keating, Amanda Whiting, Don Weiss, Preeti Pathela, Christy Harrison, Jennifer Rakeman, Gayle Langley, Suxiang Tong, Ying Tao, Anna Uehara, Krista Queen, Clinton P. Raden, Wendy Szymczak, Erika P. Orner, Priya Nori, Phi A. Lai, Jessica L. Jacobson, Harjot K. Singh, David P. Calfee, Lars F. Westblade, Ljiljana V. Vasovic, Jacob H. Rand, Dakai Liu, Vishnu Singh, Janice Burns, Nishant Prasad, CDC COVID-19 Surge Laboratory Group. Detection and Genetic Characterization of Community-Based SARS-CoV-2 Infections — New York City, March 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. July 17, 2020 / 69 (28); 918–922.
• Lonsway DR, Elrod MG, Kendrick N, Tiller R, Sullivan MM, Edwards JR, Blaney DD, Karlsson M. Correlation Between Test and Reference Broth Microdilution for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Burkholderia pseudomallei. Microb Drug Resist. 2020 Apr;26(4):311-318. doi: 10.1089/mdr.2019.0260. Epub 2019 Oct 9. PMID: 31596673.
• Munyua P, Osoro E, Hunsperger E, Ngere I, Muturi M, Mwandoe A, Marwaang D, Ngere P, Tiller R, Onyango CO, Njenga K, Widdowson MA. High incidence of human brucellosis in a rural pastoralist community in Kenya, 2021 PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021 Feb 1;15(2):e0009049. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009049. eCollection 2021 Feb.
• Shanta IS, Heffelfinger JD, Hossain K, Ahmed F, Kafi MAH, Sultana S, Tiller R, Kennedy E, Kadzik M, Ivey ML, Islam A, Ahmed SSU, Rahman AKMA, Giasuddin M, Negron ME, Salzer JS. Exposure to Brucella spp. in Humans and Cows in a High Milk-Producing Area of Bangladesh. Ecohealth. 2023 Dec 21. doi: 10.1007/s10393-023-01660-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38127112.
• Petras JK, Elrod MG, TY MC, Dawson P, O’Laughlin K, Gee JE, Hanson J, Boutwell C, Ainsworth G, Beesley CA, Saile E, Tiller R, Gulvik CA, Ware D, Sokol T, Balsamo G, Taylor K, Salzer JS, Bower WA, Weiner ZP, Negrón ME, Hoffmaster AR, Byers P. Locally Acquired Melioidosis Linked to Environment - Mississippi, 2020-2023. N Engl J Med. 2023 Dec 21;389(25):2355-2362. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2306448. PMID: 38118023.
• Parsons MG, Hermelin D, Hennenfent A, Tiller RV, Annambohtla P, Negrón ME, Basavaraju SV, Katz LM. Animal vaccine strain Brucella abortus infection in a plateletpheresis donor: A case report. Transfusion. 2024 May;64(5):946-948. doi: 10.1111/trf.17799. Epub 2024 Mar 19. PMID: 38501889.
• Williams C, Swisher S, Miller N, Pinn-Woodcock T, Austin C, Hsiao SH, Arenas-Gamboa AM, Tiller R, Thacker T, Taetzsch S, Franklin-Guild R, Cutter L, Quance C, Hung CC, Maddox CW, Ernst M, Guarino C, Lanka S, Garcia-Gonzalez DG, Slager S, Sunavala Z, Brown C, Negron M, Pieracci EG. Human exposures to Brucella canis from a pregnant dog during an international flight: Public health risks, diagnostic challenges and future considerations. Zoonoses Public Health. 2024 Mar 8. doi: 10.1111/zph.13121. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38549616.