The laboratory consists of veterinarians, scientists, laboratory technicians, and support staff to perform and/or support routine diagnostic testing. The staff is trained and proficiency tested in their respective technical area. Please refer to the quality management system for more information on competency of the laboratory staff.

The laboratory staff has implemented a number of tests to detect animal diseases that are economically important to New Jersey. The laboratory staff is always interested in collaborative research projects and test development and validation. Please contact us if you would like to collaborate with NJ Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory.

Dr. Amar Patil, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVM, Laboratory Director, as the Assistant Director Division of Animal Health, he directs the laboratory and is the laboratory's responsible officer. He received his veterinary medicine and master's degrees from India and PhD degree from the Oklahoma State University. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM), which is the specialty organization for certification of veterinarians with special expertise in microbiology. His research experience includes creating recombinant viral vaccine constructs and tackling antimicrobial resistance in bacteria through discovering novel antimicrobial peptides (US patent number US7521535). His expertise includes diagnoses of microbial diseases utilizing traditional as well as modern methodologies.

Dr. Shannon Swist, MS, DVM, Pathology Section Head, oversees the pathology lab section and performs diagnostic services along with a second pathologist. She received her DVM from Kansas State University (2003) with a concurrent MS in pathobiology/immunology and in 2006 completed a veterinary anatomic pathology residency at Colorado State University. Dr. Swist began working for the NJ Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory in 2010 and prior, held positions at the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, University of Wyoming as a diagnostic pathologist/assistant professor and at the University of Georgia as a staff pathologist/clinical instructor. Dr. Swist's special areas of focus are in forensic pathology, equine and livestock pathology, avian medicine and pathology in particular racing/show pigeons and exotics birds, and dermatopathology.

Dr. Angelique Leone, VMD, Pathologist, performs diagnostic services as a staff pathologist. She received her VMD from the University of Pennsylvania (2010) and in 2013 completed a veterinary anatomic pathology residency at the University of Florida. Dr. Leone began working for the NJ Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory in 2015 and prior, held a joint position at Disney's Animal Kingdom and the University of Florida as a clinical instructor. Dr. Leone's special areas of focus are in the pathology of wildlife and zoo animals, fish, and pet exotics, with a special interest in small mammals and avian species.