Aarcher is pleased to announce that Sarah Connolly, PhD, MPH, has joined our team as Science Director, Infection Prevention. Dr. Connolly is a senior epidemiologist and infection prevention expert experienced in infectious disease research and infection prevention. As a former public health associate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Connolly responded to infectious disease outbreaks and provided infection control guidance in a variety of settings. She regularly conducted contact-tracing and risk-assessment counseling to prevent the spread of diseases. She also has experience comparing local surveillance systems for influenza virus and writing state investigation protocols for infectious diseases.
Dr. Connolly provides scientific and technical direction to Aarcher’s team of certified industrial hygienists (CIHs) as they perform Infection Risk Assessments, prepare Return to Work Plans, and develop Pandemic Response and Preparedness Plans for facilities across the United States. She ensures we continually improve our methodologies and reviews all facility assessment results. Learn more about Aarcher’s Infection Risk Mitigation services.
In 2018, Dr. Connolly was a member of the 1st-place-winning team at the International Global Health Case Competition for her team’s strategy to control a fictional outbreak of a novel coronavirus at the 2022 World Cup. Their award-winning approach included methods to detect, contain, and prevent novel coronavirus cases and scalable recommendations for various levels of government and the broader community.
In addition to her breadth of public health experience, Dr. Connolly has conducted basic scientific research on the virologic and immunologic characteristics of HIV transmission as well as studied the toxic effects of nanoparticles on human lung cells. Bridging her research to public health, she has worked to develop assays for the rapid detection of measles virus and created diagnostic checklists to reduce the cost of STI testing in Zambia.
Dr. Connolly received her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Cell Science from the University of Florida and completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis at Emory University. She also holds a Master of Public Health in Global Epidemiology from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Publications of her research can be found in prominent infectious disease journals, including the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Virology.