Company Profile
Leadership Team
BRIAN G. SHELTON, M.P.H.
President & CEO
Brian received his B.Sc. degree in microbiology from the University of Guelph and his M.P.H. in epidemiology from Emory University. He joined PathCon in 1989 and serves as President/CEO and Laboratory Director. Brian has directed the laboratory investigations for many Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks. He was the first to show decorative fountains to be a source of Legionnaires' disease outbreaks and the first to show an association between Legionella concentrations and risk of disease. He was also the first to report that hypersensitivity pneumonitis was epidemiologically linked to mycobacterial exposure in metal workers using contaminated cutting oils. Before joining PathCon, he worked in the Department of Environmental Biology at the University of Guelph researching mycotoxic and predacious fungi. During this time, he also consulted with the university on microbially related indoor air quality health complaints. Brian is a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and chaired its Indoor Environmental Quality Committee in 2001.
J. DONALD MILLAR, M.D., D.T.P.H. (LOND.)
Occupational Health Consultant
Dr. Millar is a physician trained in epidemiology with a wealth of experience in infectious disease control as well as occupational and environmental health. He formerly served as Assistant Surgeon General and was Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for an unprecedented two terms from 1981-1993. Prior to appointment as Director of NIOSH, Dr. Millar directed other major components of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He directed the Smallpox Eradication in West and Central Africa and was Director of the Bureau of State Services (U.S. national disease control programs in tuberculosis, sexually-transmitted disease, immunization, and environmental health). Dr. Millar was the inaugural Director of CDC’s Center for Environmental Health. He retired from the U.S. Public Health Service in 1993 with the rank of Rear Admiral. Dr. Millar began consulting with PathCon after leaving NIOSH in 1993.
RUTH L. BERKELMAN, M.D.
Medical Consultant
Dr. Berkelman works with clients on Legionnaires disease outbreaks and provides guidance on issues related to prevention and control of infectious disease risks associated with the environment. She is currently consulting on protocols for companies interested in avian flu preparedness. She is nationally and internationally known for her work in public health surveillance and infectious diseases and currently serves as the Rollins Professor and Director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness and Research at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Berkelman received her AB from Princeton University and her MD from Harvard Medical School. Board certified in pediatrics and internal medicine, she was an epidemic intelligence service (EIS) officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1980-1982 and later became deputy director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases. She also served as a senior advisor to the Director of CDC and Assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Berkelman is considered a world authority on influenza and is a member of the Institute of Medicine, serving on committees advising government agencies and others on issues related to biologic threats, both naturally occurring and terrorist-related. She is also active with the American Society for Microbiology and a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
W. DANA FLANDERS, M.D., D.Sc., M.P.H.
Consultant on Epidemiology and Study Design
Dr. Flanders has an M.D. degree and is board certified in Preventive Medicine. He has a D.Sc. degree in epidemiology and a Masters degree in Public Health. Dr. Flanders is a professor in the School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta where he teaches courses on epidemiological methodology and study design. Dr. Flanders has published approximately 100 papers on epidemiology-related research, many on environmental health issues. His work at PathCon has included health risks related to exposure to environmental Legionella bacteria, development of Legionella sampling strategies, association of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in metal workers with mycobacteria in metal-working fluids, and health risks associated with indoor exposure to toxigenic fungi. Dr. Flanders consults with PathCon clients on the planning, design, conduct, and interpretation of epidemiological studies and related statistical issues. He has been consulting with PathCon since 1995.
KIMBERLY H. KIRKLAND, M.P.H.
Laboratory Supervisor
Kimberly earned her B.S. degree in Environmental Health Sciences/Microbiology from the University of Georgia and her M.P.H. in environmental and occupational health from Emory University. At PathCon, she coordinates and supervises a multitalented team of microbiologists, laboratory analysts, and laboratory technicians. Her laboratory team is highly skilled; they hold B.S. and Associate’s degrees in microbiology, environmental health sciences, biology and medical technology. The team undergoes stringent in-house and external training and certification to ensure that PathCon’s microbiological services are of the highest quality. Ms. Kirkland consults with clients on sample collection strategies and interpretation of microbiological data. She also conducts indoor air quality investigations and analyzes and reports laboratory data. She recently completed and published an analysis summarizing PathCon’s findings of fungal air samples in 1717 buildings across the United States, the largest study to date on indoor airborne fungi. Kimberly is a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the American Society for Microbiology. She joined PathCon in 1993.
JOHN B. (BRAD) FOX, M.S.
Director of Quality Assurance
Brad supervises and directs all microbiology quality control and assurance programs. He is in charge of laboratory safety and training, in-house proficiency testing programs, and quality control of all laboratory media and materials. After earning his B.S. degree, he received his M.S. degree in microbiology from the University of Tennessee in 1966. He has worked as a clinical microbiologist with National Clinical Services Laboratories in Arlington, Virginia, and Smith-Kline Beecham Clinical Laboratories in Tucker, Georgia. For 23 years before joining PathCon, Brad served as a technical director at Carr-Scarborough Microbiologicals, Inc. in Decatur, Georgia, where he directed quality assurance, research, and regulatory affairs. He was involved in the development of numerous microbial analytical devices and handled client requests for technical assistance. He joined PathCon in 1997.
CHARLOTTE M. PATTON, M.S.
Consultant on Bacteriology
Charlotte joined PathCon as a senior bacteriology consultant in 1996 after serving for 32 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. At the CDC, she held several positions, including chief of the anthrax laboratory, the Campylobacter laboratory and the bacterial zoonoses laboratory. Charlotte has authored more than 50 scientific publications, including chapters in the ASM Manual of Clinical Microbiology. Her publications include articles on anthrax, Bacillus, Campylobacter, leptospirosis and Legionnaires' disease. She is the co-editor of PathCon's 1998 book entitled Microbes in the Indoor Environment and is the editor of the second edition. She works with PathCon on special projects and is a key resource on biological threat assessment.