Natalie Prystajecky

Natalie Anne Prystajecky a Canadian biologist and the Environmental Microbiology program at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory. She holds a visiting faculty position at the University of British Columbia. During the COVID-19 pandemic Prystajecky was involved with the development COVID-19 testing capabilities.

Natalie Anne Prystajecky
Alma materUniversity of British Columbia
University of Calgary
Scientific career
InstitutionsBritish Columbia Centre for Disease Control
University of British Columbia
ThesisMolecular epidemiology of Giardia spp. in different hosts and watersheds (2010)

Early life and education

Prystajecky studied environmental science and biology at the University of Calgary. She moved to British Columbia as a graduate student, where she first worked toward a certificate in watershed management.[1] In 2010 Prystajecky earned her doctoral degree at the University of British Columbia.[2] Her research considered epidemiological studies of Giardia spp.[3]

Research and career

After completing her doctorate, Prystajecky joined the British Columbia Provincial Health Services Authority, where she led British Columbians through outbreaks of norovirus and influenza.[4] At the time, Prystajecky's advice was to “wash your hands all the time, and soap and water is the best,”.[4]

Prystajecky leads the Environmental Microbiology program at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory.[2] She investigates the relationship between environmental exposures and clinical outcomes.[1] To do this, Prystajecky developed technhology for genome sequencing. She has used these genomic technologies to search for pathogens that might cause foodborne illnesses.[5] Prystajecky has used metagenomics to test for bacteria and viruses in water in an effort to improve the health of people and ecosystems.[6]

In early 2020 Prystajecky was involved with a study to identify strains of a viruses that infected oysters in British Columbia. The viruses include Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Norovirus.[7] Improved detection of the viruses will help to reduce the spread of disease and help the Canadian oyster industry.[7]

During the COVID-19 pandemic Prystajecky was involved with the development COVID-19 testing capabilities.[8][9] The first quantitative PCR acid was shared by researchers in Wuhan with World Health Organization, and forms the basis of many COVID-19 tests, including those developed by Prystajecky.[5][10] In particular, Prystajecky looked to reduce the time taken between testing and obtaining results in an effort to understand transmission and protect vulnerable members of the population.[11][12] The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control program that conducts the testing is known as Responding to Emerging Serious Pathogen Outbreaks using Next-gen Data (RESPOND), and makes use of genome sequencing to identify which patients have been infected by the disease.[13][14]

Selected publications
  • Van Rossum, Thea; Peabody, Michael A.; Uyaguari-Diaz, Miguel I.; Cronin, Kirby I.; Chan, Michael; Slobodan, Jared R.; Nesbitt, Matthew J.; Suttle, Curtis A.; Hsiao, William W. L.; Tang, Patrick K. C.; Prystajecky, Natalie A. (2015-12-16). "Year-Long Metagenomic Study of River Microbiomes Across Land Use and Water Quality". Frontiers in Microbiology. 6: 1405. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2015.01405. ISSN 1664-302X. PMC 4681185. PMID 26733955.[15]
  • Uyaguari-Diaz, Miguel I.; Chan, Michael; Chaban, Bonnie L.; Croxen, Matthew A.; Finke, Jan F.; Hill, Janet E.; Peabody, Michael A.; Van Rossum, Thea; Suttle, Curtis A.; Brinkman, Fiona S. L.; Isaac-Renton, Judith (2016-07-11). "A comprehensive method for amplicon-based and metagenomic characterization of viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotes in freshwater samples". Microbiome. 4 (1): 20. doi:10.1186/s40168-016-0166-1. ISSN 2049-2618. PMC 5011856. PMID 27391119.[16]
  • Dunn, Gemma; Harris, Leila; Cook, Christina; Prystajecky, Natalie (2014). "A comparative analysis of current microbial water quality risk assessment and management practices in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada". Science of the Total Environment. 468–469: 544–552. Bibcode:2014ScTEn.468..544D. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.004. ISSN 0048-9697. PMID 24055670.[17]

Personal life

Prystajecky has two children.[5]

References
  1. "Natalie Prystajecky". Pathology. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  2. "Natalie Prystajecky". www.bccdc.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  3. Prystajecky, Natalie Anne (2010). Molecular epidemiology of Giardia spp. in different hosts and watersheds. Vancouver: University of British Columbia. OCLC 1032893118.
  4. Constantineau, Brian Morton and Bruce. "Double whammy of severe flu strain and norovirus hits B.C." www.vancouversun.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  5. "Natalie Prystajecky on COVID-19 Research". The Future Economy. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  6. Dunn, Gemma; Harris, Leila; Cook, Christina; Prystajecky, Natalie (2014-01-15). "A comparative analysis of current microbial water quality risk assessment and management practices in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada". The Science of the Total Environment. 468–469: 544–552. Bibcode:2014ScTEn.468..544D. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.004. ISSN 1879-1026. PMID 24055670.
  7. Columbia, Genome British (2020-01-07). "New research will broaden Canada's ability to identify strains of oyster-related illnesses". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  8. "B.C. deploys genomics tech to track coronavirus spread". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  9. "$5.1 million given to UBC to pursue coronavirus research | Venture". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  10. "Dr. Natalie Prystajecky on COVID-19 Research, Genomics, Collaboration and Funding". Genome BC. 2020-04-22. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  11. "Ready-to-launch COVID-19 projects can tap $250k from Genome BC". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  12. Columbia, Genome British (2020-02-20). "B.C. to track origins and spread of new coronavirus with genomic technology". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  13. Orton, Tyler. "B.C. deploys pilot project to track coronavirus spread". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  14. "Using genomics to track COVID-19". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  15. Van Rossum, Thea; Peabody, Michael A.; Uyaguari-Diaz, Miguel I.; Cronin, Kirby I.; Chan, Michael; Slobodan, Jared R.; Nesbitt, Matthew J.; Suttle, Curtis A.; Hsiao, William W. L.; Tang, Patrick K. C.; Prystajecky, Natalie A. (2015-12-16). "Year-Long Metagenomic Study of River Microbiomes Across Land Use and Water Quality". Frontiers in Microbiology. 6: 1405. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2015.01405. ISSN 1664-302X. PMC 4681185. PMID 26733955.
  16. Uyaguari-Diaz, Miguel I.; Chan, Michael; Chaban, Bonnie L.; Croxen, Matthew A.; Finke, Jan F.; Hill, Janet E.; Peabody, Michael A.; Van Rossum, Thea; Suttle, Curtis A.; Brinkman, Fiona S. L.; Isaac-Renton, Judith (2016-07-11). "A comprehensive method for amplicon-based and metagenomic characterization of viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotes in freshwater samples". Microbiome. 4 (1): 20. doi:10.1186/s40168-016-0166-1. ISSN 2049-2618. PMC 5011856. PMID 27391119.
  17. Dunn, Gemma; Harris, Leila; Cook, Christina; Prystajecky, Natalie (2014). "A comparative analysis of current microbial water quality risk assessment and management practices in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada". Science of the Total Environment. 468–469: 544–552. Bibcode:2014ScTEn.468..544D. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.004. ISSN 0048-9697. PMID 24055670.
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