Dr. Steve Presley
Leading By Example, Keeping Others Safe
PAUL TUBBS | MARCH 30, 2023
Texas Tech’s Cynthia Reinoso Webb provided strength and leadership during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every year, March is observed as Women's History Month. This year, we're telling the stories of extraordinary women at Texas Tech. They are making history through their research, discoveries, tenacity and scholarship. These Red Raiders not only help us commemorate the past, but they're blazing a trail toward the future.
It was January 2020 and the world was about to be consumed by COVID-19. Texas Tech University's Cynthia Reinoso Webb and Steve Presley were at a Laboratory Response Network (LRN) conference in Bandera, Texas. The two scientists at The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) were engrossed in conversations about a new coronavirus popping up in China. The universal thought initially circulating the conference was the virus would be isolated, but several Zoom calls later, the opinions had changed. It would not be a matter of if, but when the virus would arrive in the U.S. and all labs needed to be ready.
The LRN at TIEHH is one of 10 labs in Texas and 140 in the world that work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to respond to biological and chemical threats as well as other public health emergencies.
“On the way back, Cynthia said, ‘We've got to do this,” recalled Presley. And so, the LRN at TIEHH would be the first lab to go online and begin the testing using the CDC-approved process that was unique to the LRNs and the CDC.
If there was ever any doubt about how Reinoso Webb planned on helping lead this team into the unknown, it was soon put to rest.
“She leads by example,” doctoral student Bianca Rendon said.
Independent and Outspoken in Ecuador
Ask Reinoso Webb about her childhood goals and dreams, and she will say they were inspired, but nothing like the reality she has experienced.
“I think a lot about this,” she said. “That little girl in Ecuador had no idea where she was going to be.
“I'm living in a completely different county in a completely different culture and a completely different language. I think a lot of the things that happened in my life and the people who raised me and were around me helped me grow to be able to do those things.”
Reinoso Webb comes from a tight-knit family, one she credits with the inspiration to bring a self-sufficient attitude into everything she has experienced.
“Early on, I was incredibly independent, outspoken and strong like my dad would always say,” she said. “The culture I grew up in, doesn't always encourage women to be strong, independent and outspoken. I don't know, I guess I didn't stick to that manual. And that's OK.”
The person who made sure Reinoso Webb knew it was OK to follow her dreams, and maintain the strong, independent spirit she continues to display, is without a doubt her grandmother.
At 30 years old, her grandmother was raising eight children by herself with little more than an elementary-school-level education. Her children all would go on to become productive contributors to their communities.
With tears in her eyes, Reinoso Webb recalled how much she appreciated what her grandmother meant to her.
“She really started the path for everybody else. She's the cornerstone for the whole family,” she said. “She really taught me that it's OK to be strong. It's OK to be who you are. It's OK to find yourself because I'm sure she had to do a lot of that on her own.
“When you come from somebody like that, you can't afford to be weak. When somebody set that in motion in your family, you can't afford to be less.”
Opportunity at an Early Age
As a 14-year-old, Reinoso Webb would travel nearly 3,000 miles to the U.S. as a foreign exchange student– a substantial journey for a young person on their first trip away from home. It turned out to be eye-opening and awe-inspiring.
“It was unusual because most people are seniors and I was a freshman,” she recalled. “I was really independent. It was a huge adventure.”
The adventure sparked a desire in Reinoso Webb to explore more possibilities. She finished high school in Ecuador and returned stateside to get a bachelor's degree in biology from West Texas A&M University in Canyon. Still not content, she made the decision to pursue even greater opportunities – getting her masters and eventually her doctorate in immunology and infectious diseases from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). Opportunity once again presented itself while finishing up her degree at TIEHH after starting out as a microbiologist.
“The biological threat coordinator had moved to a different position,” Reinoso Webb said. “It was just one of those things that was meant to be, I think, because this is exactly what I wanted my niche to be.”
She has, through her niche, found fulfillment.
“My position provides everything I need,” she said. “I get to do a little bit of everything. I never do the same thing two days in a row.
Support is key to being successful regardless of career path. Reinoso Webb said she has certainly benefited from working at TIEHH.
“Dr. Presley has been very generous,” she said. “He really believes in me and respects my input and professionalism. It's allowed me to find my wings and do things I like. He has been there to support me through everything.”
Presley said the feeling is mutual.
“Cynthia is an excellent leader, truly demonstrating a combination of those innate traits that encourage and inspire others to accomplish their tasks for the success of our team,” said Presley.
Calm During the Storm
When the Spanish flu engulfed the globe from 1918 to 1920, an estimated 50 million people died worldwide. That was more than the death tolls of World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined. So, when a global pandemic took center stage again in 2020, it was an adjustment for Reinoso Webb and her colleagues.
“We had no idea how to respond. It had been 100 years since previous pandemic,” she said. “There's no rulebook on how you address things and especially being a CDC LRN lab, we were really the first line of defense.”
Yes, the first line. Reinoso Webb and Presley had reached the decision from the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak that TIEHH would be directly involved.
“I remember early discussions with LRN labs in Texas and they were asking who's going to be validated and who's going to be providing the service,” Reinoso Webb said. “We said ‘Lubbock is going to provide the service. I don't know how, but we'll do our best.'”
Their best was good enough. TIEHH was the first lab in Texas to be validated and start testing.
“We were drinking from a firehose a lot of times and making daily decisions on how we are going to do things,” Reinoso Webb said. “We had great partners, and the university was amazing and supported us through a lot.”
A calming presence during the chaos is paramount to maintaining order, clarity and consistency. Lives depend on it. Those working with Reinoso Webb had a firsthand opportunity to observe her leadership qualities.
“Most people in her position are office personnel and spend almost no time in the lab,” Rendon said. “During the pandemic, Cynthia was in the lab, managed all her other duties and was here just as much if not more than any other person.”
To read more on Rendon's involvement with Reinoso Webb in the COVID-19 testing, follow this link.
Prior to COVID-19, a Biosafety Level (BSL) 3 lab that may do 400 tests per year was now pushed to do hundreds per day. The lab persisted, fighting through long hours, a lack of sleep and even a fire in the facility. even did so despite a multitude of obstacles from long hours and a lack of sleep to a fire in the facility. Reinoso Webb was at the center of it all, helping the lab personnel keep their composure.
“Cynthia's professional expertise, work ethic, persistent resolve and sincere dedication to doing whatever was necessary to get the Texas Tech COVID-19 Testing Team functional and online were essential to reaching our goal,” said Presley.
“As a smaller lab we always stuck to a 24-hour turn-around time because Cynthia never wanted a person or family having to wait for results,” Rendon added. “She always strived for us to inform results as fast as possible so people could have an answer and not have to worry.”
Moms Lead
“Sacrifice” can be a word carelessly used at times. However, it is the absolute best way to describe how Reinoso Webb applies herself. As a mother of two, many sacrifices had to be made for her to do what she does.
“We pretty much lived at the lab,” she said. “It was personally difficult because my daughter was 6 months old when the pandemic started and I had a 3-year-old. But my husband really helped out by taking on additional responsibilities. It allowed me to be able to be here. That way when I'm here, I'm completely focused on what our mission was at the time.”
Throughout this Women Making History series, one key takeaway is the level of determination each woman exhibits and their innate ability to compartmentalize, prioritize and strategize. Part of the process for Reinoso Webb is self-reflection.
“I think I had to be honest with myself and understand I wasn't going to be able to do everything,” she said. “I wasn't going to be able to attend all the school events. I wasn't going to be able to get my daughter dressed every morning. I can't do it all, so whatever I can do, I'm going to be the best at it with my children.
“I couldn't allow myself to feel guilty about not being there 24/7; I just had to do the best I could with what I had at the moment. The time that I'm at work, I'm going to be devoted to work. In the time I'm home, I'm going to be devoted to home. I think it's a struggle every woman goes through, whether there's a pandemic or not.”
Her devotion to both family and career did not go unnoticed by her colleagues or those whom Reinoso Webb has mentored.
“Outside the lab, she is always there for any of us no matter the issue,” Rendon said. “I can ask about anything – related to the lab or personal – and she has always given me sound advice. I have looked up to her in many ways throughout the entire process.”
“I have found her sincere empathy and compassion toward other people, particularly in stressful situations, to be one of her strongest leadership traits,” Presley added. “I admire Cynthia's innate work ethic and devotion to doing whatever is necessary to accomplish her mission, particularly relative to public health. Her compassionate approach when addressing and resolving intrateam conflicts or stress and anxiety issues occurring in individuals has helped me to be more effective as a leader.”
Maintaining the Dream
As Reinoso Webb reflects on her time at Texas Tech and TIEHH, she can't help but be inspired about what lies in front of her – the passion she has for her job, students, colleagues and, most importantly, her family.
She sees the good work TIEHH has been able to achieve, especially in the face of a global pandemic.
Reinoso Webb also has great perspective, which is what ultimately makes her fitting of the “Women Making History” moniker.
“A lot of people talk about the American dream and reviving the American dream,” she said. “It's there. It's at your fingertips. It's just the amount of work somebody is willing to put in. You can really be whoever you want to be if you're willing to put in the work. I refuse to think that I'm entitled to anything besides what I've worked for.”
Lubbock sees first probable Monkeypox
case in the county
by: Samantha Jarpe, Skylar Soto
Posted: Jul 13, 2022 / 03:04 PM CDT
Updated: Jul 13, 2022 / 03:16 PM CDT
Dr. Presley Elected as Chairperson of Editorial Board of Journal of Vector Ecology
Dr. Steve Presley was recently elected as Chairperson of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Vector Ecology (JVE). The JVE is the peer-reviewed professional journal of the Society for Vector Ecology which is a professional organization committed to solving many complex problems encountered in the field of vector biology and control. Among these are the suppression of nuisance organisms and disease vectors through integration of control elements, such as environmental management, biological control, public education, and appropriate chemical control technology. Dr. Presley also serves on the Society’s Board of Directors as the Director for the South Central United States.
Researchers: Widely Used Mosquito Control Insecticides Are Becoming Less Effective
GLENYS YOUNG OCTOBER 13, 2020
More than two-thirds of mosquitoes tested showed strong resistance to public health insecticides.
Every summer, vector control teams throughout the country work to minimize the mosquito population in their areas. After all, mosquitoes aren't just the uninvited guests at your backyard barbecue that leave you with itchy, red bumps; they can spread diseases including Zika, West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis, dengue fever, yellow fever and chikungunya.
So, what happens when those control methods become less effective? That's a question the state of Texas is facing now.
2021 Headliner Award Honoree
Texas Tech University Biological Threat Research Laboratory was awarded the 2021 Headliner Award from the Lubbock Professional Chapter Association for Women in Communications.
The award celebrates the positive contributions and achievements of individuals and organizations who make Lubbock a great place to live.
TTU laboratory awarded $2.23 million for efforts to combat COVID-19
by: News Release & Posted By Staff | newsweb@everythinglubbock.com
Posted: Jul 19, 2020 / 10:05 AM CDT / Updated: Jul 19, 2020 / 10:05 AM CDT
(Nexstar Media Group/EverythingLubbock.com Staff)
This is a news release from Texas Tech University.
State extends Texas Tech lab’s COVID-19 work through 2022
For A-J Media
Texas Tech University’s Biological Threat Research Laboratory was the first lab in the state of Texas to begin testing for COVID-19 in February. In the five months since, it has tested more than 9,500 samples from across a 67-county region.
Steve Presley, director of both the BTRL and The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) in which it’s located, said the lab won’t be slowing its activities to combat the coronavirus anytime soon.
Presley and his team have several proposed vaccine-development projects in the works. And the lab has now been granted $2.23 million from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to continue its COVID-19-related activities through April 1, 2022.
As a member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) and DSHS’ Laboratory Response Network, the BTRL’s expertise and technical diagnostic capabilities are available to provide support to city and county public health agencies and other health care providers within a region covering about 66,000 square miles – from the northern border of the Panhandle south to the San Angelo area.
In addition to testing samples, the BTRL also provides the region’s public health departments, hospitals and clinics with the viral transport medium they need to safely package and transport samples to the BTRL for testing.
Presley specified that the BTRL is not involved with surveillance testing, like that offered through drive-thru testing locations.
“Because we’re part of the CDC’s Laboratory Response Network, our mission is to test critically ill patients and hospital inpatient individuals who are suspected of having COVID-19,” Presley said, “but we also test health care workers and emergency responders who have a confirmed exposure to COVID-19.”
That said, the lab has plenty of room to increase testing. That’s due, in large part, to a collaborative partnership between Texas Tech and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, which established the Texas Tech/TTUHSC COVID-19 Testing Team early in the pandemic to increase how many tests could be done each day.
“We’re not yet even close to our full capacity,” Presley said. “We can significantly increase the number we’re doing daily.”
Most importantly, they can do so safely – their record speaks for itself.
“We’ve been operating at least 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for 130 days,” Presley said. “That is 2,080 hours – roughly 12,500 person-hours – without any of the testing crew becoming positive for COVID-19 or having any laboratory safety issues.”
In addition to team members involved in the hands-on testing, Presley credits the administrative staff members who volunteered to continue working – doing the paperwork, facility maintenance and other often-thankless tasks – as well as university administrators who provided support.
“Texas Tech University is very proud of the hard work and dedication of the staff, volunteers and leadership team of our institutional testing laboratory,” said Joseph A. Heppert, Tech’s vice president for research and innovation. “These individuals have enabled this CDC-affiliated laboratory to provide high-quality test results for patients showing COVID-19 symptoms throughout the West Texas region. We are extremely grateful to the Texas Department of State Health Services for this financial support, which will allow us to continue serving the citizens of the state throughout this crisis.”
Community Spirit: 60-plus Volunteers Sign Up to Support Covid-19 Testing
ANSWERING THE CALL
Texas Tech Laboratory Was State's First to Offer Coronavirus Testing
Two decades ago, Texas Tech created The Institute of Environmental and Human Health. In the age of COVID-19, that investment is paying dividends.
Nearly 23 years ago, the Texas Tech University System's Board of Regents unanimously approved the creation of The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), a new institute to assess toxic chemical impacts on the physical and human environment. Since then, its growth has been exponential.
Proposed as a joint venture between Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), TIEHH fused the resources of Texas Tech's academic campus and its premier medical facility to address environmental and human health issues from a multidisciplinary perspective.
- TTU Biological Threat Research Lab Closely Monitors COVID-19
When it was realized that COVID-19 was rapidly spreading around the globe and a pandemic was imminent, the TTU Biological Threat Research Lab team at Texas Tech University immediately began preparing to test samples from patients suspected to be infected with COVID-19. The TTU team was the first LRN lab in Texas to begin testing suspected COVID-19 cases in late February. On March 17, they detected and reported the first COVID-19 case in Lubbock.
As the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States and particularly in Texas increased, it was necessary to significantly increase the capacity of the lab to test high numbers of clinical samples every day. With coordination through the TTU Vice President for Research and Innovation, a collaborative partnership between TTU and TTUHSC was established to increase the capacity of the TTU Biological Threat Research Lab to test for COVID-19.
Through the TTU-TTUHSC partnership, more than 30 volunteers from both campuses have joined the original five person TTU Biological Threat Research Lab team to create the TTU-TTUHSC COVID-19 Testing Team. Volunteers to assist in this project include TTU and TTUHSC faculty members, research staff, graduate students, as well as citizens that have no affiliation with either university but want to help “flatten the curve” in our community.
As both an academic research lab and a public health diagnostic testing lab, the TTU Biological Threat Research Lab has been extensively involved in detecting, monitoring, and researching outbreaks of infectious diseases of humans and animals occurring throughout Texas since 2003. The public health diagnostic testing capability of the TTU Biological Threat Research Lab is designated as a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Laboratory Response Network (LRN) facility. The expertise and technical diagnostic capabilities available in the TTU Biological Threat Research Lab work directly with the Texas Department of State Health Services to provide support to city and county public health agencies and other healthcare providers within a 67 county region. The TTU Biological Threat Research Lab team has provided public health emergency diagnostic testing for numerous actual and potential disease outbreaks over the years, including chikungunya, dengue fever, Ebola, seasonal influenza, West Nile fever, Zika fever, and now COVID-19.