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Professional History

Dr. Pollock is the Co-Director of the Infectious Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory (IDDL) in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. She previously was the Associate Medical Director of the IDDL and has been at BCH since 2012. She is also a faculty member of the Division of Infectious Diseases at BIDMC. She is an Associate Professor of both Pathology and Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Pollock completed her MD/PhD at the University of California, San Francisco; her medical residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston; and her infectious diseases/clinical microbiology fellowships at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston.

Publications

  1. Metagenomic analysis reveals distinct patterns of gut microbiota features with diversified functions in C. difficile infection (CDI), asymptomatic carriage and non-CDI diarrhea. Gut Microbes. 2025 Dec; 17(1):2505269. View Abstract

  2. A compartmentalization-free microfluidic digital assay for detecting picogram levels of protein analytes. Lab Chip. 2025 May 12. View Abstract

  3. Towards diagnostic preparedness: detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) in contrived nasal swab specimens using rapid antigen and point-of-care molecular tests. medRxiv. 2025 Apr 16. View Abstract

  4. A digital microfluidic approach to increasing sample volume and reducing bead numbers in single molecule array assays. Lab Chip. 2025 Mar 25; 25(7):1669-1680. View Abstract

  5. Comparative effectiveness of metronidazole and vancomycin for treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection in hospitalized children. Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol. 2025; 5(1):e74. View Abstract

  6. Rational Design of Live Biotherapeutic Products for the Prevention of Clostridioides difficile Infection. J Infect Dis. 2024 Sep 24. View Abstract

  7. Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transrenal DNA in urine samples among adults in Peru. Tuberculosis (Edinb). 2024 Sep; 148:102549. View Abstract

  8. Diagnostic yield as an important metric for the evaluation of novel tuberculosis tests: rationale and guidance for future research. Lancet Glob Health. 2024 Jul; 12(7):e1184-e1191. View Abstract

  9. Rational Design of Live Biotherapeutic Products for the Prevention of Clostridioides difficile Infection. bioRxiv. 2024 May 02. View Abstract

  10. Clinical accuracy of instrument-based SARS-CoV-2 antigen diagnostic tests: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Virol J. 2024 04 29; 21(1):99. View Abstract

  11. Testing for SARS-CoV-2: lessons learned and current use cases. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2024 Jun 13; 37(2):e0007223. View Abstract

  12. Comparison of RT-PCR and antigen test sensitivity across nasopharyngeal, nares, and oropharyngeal swab, and saliva sample types during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant. Heliyon. 2024 Mar 30; 10(6):e27188. View Abstract

  13. The New Normal: Delayed Peak SARS-CoV-2 Viral Loads Relative to Symptom Onset and Implications for COVID-19 Testing Programs. Clin Infect Dis. 2024 02 17; 78(2):301-307. View Abstract

  14. Comparing SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 self-testing/self-sampling with molecular and professional-use tests: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2023 12 11; 13(1):21913. View Abstract

  15. Sensitivity of rapid antigen tests against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants. J Clin Microbiol. 2023 10 24; 61(10):e0013823. View Abstract

  16. Prevalence and Risk Factors for School-Associated Transmission of SARS-CoV-2. JAMA Health Forum. 2023 08 04; 4(8):e232310. View Abstract

  17. Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transrenal DNA in urine samples among adult patients in Peru. medRxiv. 2023 Jul 27. View Abstract

  18. Evaluation of "Test to Return" after COVID-19 Diagnosis in a Massachusetts Public School District. J Sch Health. 2023 10; 93(10):877-882. View Abstract

  19. The New Normal: Delayed Peak SARS-CoV-2 Viral Loads Relative to Symptom Onset and Implications for COVID-19 Testing Programs. medRxiv. 2023 May 10. View Abstract

  20. Reply to Ito. Clin Infect Dis. 2023 04 17; 76(8):1529-1530. View Abstract

  21. Similar SARS-CoV-2 Ct Value Distributions in Anterior Nares versus Nasopharyngeal Samples from Symptomatic Children during Delta and Omicron Surges. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2023 Feb 27; 12(2):109-112. View Abstract

  22. Preservation of the Innate Immune Response to Clostridioides difficile Infection in Hospitalized Immunocompromised Patients. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2023 Mar; 10(3):ofad090. View Abstract

  23. Sensitivity of Rapid Antigen Tests Against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta Variants. medRxiv. 2023 Feb 10. View Abstract

  24. Stool Interleukin-1ß Differentiates Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI) From Asymptomatic Carriage and Non-CDI Diarrhea. Clin Infect Dis. 2023 02 08; 76(3):e1467-e1475. View Abstract

  25. Baseline stool toxin concentration is associated with risk of recurrence in children with Clostridioides difficile infection. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023 09; 44(9):1403-1409. View Abstract

  26. Higher In Vivo Fecal Concentrations of Clostridioides difficile Toxins A and B in Patients With North American Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Type 1/Ribotype 027 Strain Infection. Clin Infect Dis. 2022 11 30; 75(11):2019-2022. View Abstract

  27. Stool Toxin Concentration Does Not Distinguish Clostridioides difficile Infection from Colonization in Children Less Than 3 Years of Age. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2022 Oct 25; 11(10):454-458. View Abstract

  28. Measurement of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antigens in Plasma of Pediatric Patients With Acute Coronavirus Disease 2019 or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Using an Ultrasensitive and Quantitative Immunoassay. Clin Infect Dis. 2022 10 12; 75(8):1351-1358. View Abstract

  29. Predictive Value of Isolated Symptoms for Diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Children Tested During Peak Circulation of the Delta Variant. Clin Infect Dis. 2022 09 30; 75(7):1131-1139. View Abstract

  30. A Multicenter Clinical Diagnostic Accuracy Study of SureStatus, an Affordable, WHO Emergency Use-Listed, Rapid, Point-Of-Care Antigen-Detecting Diagnostic Test for SARS-CoV-2. Microbiol Spectr. 2022 10 26; 10(5):e0122922. View Abstract

  31. Analysis of Intestinal Mycobiota of Patients with Clostridioides difficile Infection among a Prospective Inpatient Cohort. Microbiol Spectr. 2022 08 31; 10(4):e0136222. View Abstract

  32. Ultrasensitive and Quantitative Toxin Measurement Correlates With Baseline Severity, Severe Outcomes, and Recurrence Among Hospitalized Patients With Clostridioides difficile Infection. Clin Infect Dis. 2022 07 06; 74(12):2142-2149. View Abstract

  33. Accuracy of rapid point-of-care antigen-based diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression analyzing influencing factors. PLoS Med. 2022 05; 19(5):e1004011. View Abstract

  34. Don't forget about human factors: Lessons learned from COVID-19 point-of-care testing. Cell Rep Methods. 2022 05 23; 2(5):100222. View Abstract

  35. Where is Omicron? Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and Antigen Test Sensitivity at Commonly Sampled Anatomic Sites Over the Course of Disease. medRxiv. 2022 Feb 09. View Abstract

  36. Accuracy and ease-of-use of seven point-of-care SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detecting tests: A multi-centre clinical evaluation. EBioMedicine. 2022 Jan; 75:103774. View Abstract

  37. Measurement of SARS-CoV-2 antigens in plasma of pediatric patients with acute COVID-19 or MIS-C using an ultrasensitive and quantitative immunoassay. medRxiv. 2021 Dec 09. View Abstract

  38. Pediatric Clostridioides difficile Infection: Diagnosis and Diagnostic Stewardship. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2021 Nov 17; 10(Supplement_3):S16-S21. View Abstract

  39. Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi Cell-free DNA in Human Plasma Samples for Improved Diagnosis of Early Lyme Borreliosis. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 10 05; 73(7):e2355-e2361. View Abstract

  40. Implementation of SARS-CoV2 Screening in K-12 Schools Using In-School Pooled Molecular Testing and Deconvolution by Rapid Antigen Test. J Clin Microbiol. 2021 08 18; 59(9):e0112321. View Abstract

  41. Evaluation of accuracy, exclusivity, limit-of-detection and ease-of-use of LumiraDx™: An antigen-detecting point-of-care device for SARS-CoV-2. Infection. 2022 Apr; 50(2):395-406. View Abstract

  42. Accuracy of novel antigen rapid diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2: A living systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med. 2021 08; 18(8):e1003735. View Abstract

  43. Lessons Learned From Implementation of SARS-CoV-2 Screening in K-12 Public Schools in Massachusetts. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Aug; 8(8):ofab287. View Abstract

  44. Humoral Immune Response to Clostridioides difficile Toxins A and B in Hospitalized Immunocompromised Patients With C difficile Infection. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Jul; 8(7):ofab286. View Abstract

  45. The Abbott PanBio WHO emergency use listed, rapid, antigen-detecting point-of-care diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2-Evaluation of the accuracy and ease-of-use. PLoS One. 2021; 16(5):e0247918. View Abstract

  46. Performance and Operational Evaluation of the Access Bio CareStart Rapid Antigen Test in a High-Throughput Drive-Through Community Testing Site in Massachusetts. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Jul; 8(7):ofab243. View Abstract

  47. The RADx Tech Test Verification Core and the ACME POCT in the Evaluation of COVID-19 Testing Devices: A Model for Progress and Change. IEEE Open J Eng Med Biol. 2021 Apr 28; 2:142-151. View Abstract

  48. Performance of Saliva, Oropharyngeal Swabs, and Nasal Swabs for SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Detection: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Clin Microbiol. 2021 04 20; 59(5). View Abstract

  49. Performance and Implementation Evaluation of the Abbott BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen Test in a High-Throughput Drive-Through Community Testing Site in Massachusetts. J Clin Microbiol. 2021 04 20; 59(5). View Abstract

  50. Correlation of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Antigen and RNA Concentrations in Nasopharyngeal Samples from Children and Adults Using an Ultrasensitive and Quantitative Antigen Assay. J Clin Microbiol. 2021 03 19; 59(4). View Abstract

  51. Considerations for Assessment and Deployment of Rapid Antigen Tests for Diagnosis of Coronavirus Disease 2019. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Jun; 8(6):ofab110. View Abstract

  52. Fecal Mycobiota Combined With Host Immune Factors Distinguish Clostridioides difficile Infection From Asymptomatic Carriage. Gastroenterology. 2021 06; 160(7):2328-2339.e6. View Abstract

  53. To Test, Perchance to Diagnose: Practical Strategies for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Testing. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Apr; 8(4):ofab095. View Abstract

  54. Integrating gut microbiome and host immune markers to understand the pathogenesis of Clostridioides difficile infection. Gut Microbes. 2021 Jan-Dec; 13(1):1-18. View Abstract

  55. Molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from buccal swabs among adult in Peru. Sci Rep. 2020 12 17; 10(1):22231. View Abstract

  56. Comparison of Upper Respiratory Viral Load Distributions in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Children Diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pediatric Hospital Testing Programs. J Clin Microbiol. 2020 12 17; 59(1). View Abstract

  57. Absence of Toxemia in Clostridioides difficile Infection: Results from Ultrasensitive Toxin Assay of Serum. Dig Dis Sci. 2021 10; 66(10):3303-3306. View Abstract

  58. Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis DNA in Buccal Swab Samples from Children in Lima, Peru. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2020 11; 39(11):e376-e380. View Abstract

  59. Ultrasensitive CRISPR-based diagnostic for field-applicable detection of Plasmodium species in symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 10 13; 117(41):25722-25731. View Abstract

  60. Laxative Use Does Not Preclude Diagnosis or Reduce Disease Severity in Clostridiodes difficile Infection. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 09 12; 71(6):1472-1478. View Abstract

  61. Assessment of the Clinical Utility of Plasma Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in a Pediatric Hospital Population. J Clin Microbiol. 2020 06 24; 58(7). View Abstract

  62. Toxin A-Predominant Pathogenic Clostridioides difficile: A Novel Clinical Phenotype. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 06 10; 70(12):2628-2633. View Abstract

  63. Host Immune Markers Distinguish Clostridioides difficile Infection From Asymptomatic Carriage and Non-C. difficile Diarrhea. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 03 03; 70(6):1083-1093. View Abstract

  64. Rapid electrostatic DNA enrichment for sensitive detection of Trichomonas vaginalis in clinical urinary samples. Anal Methods. 2020 Feb 28; 12(8):1085-1093. View Abstract

  65. Point-Of-Care Urine LAM Tests for Tuberculosis Diagnosis: A Status Update. J Clin Med. 2019 Dec 31; 9(1). View Abstract

  66. Detection of mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan in serum for diagnosis of active tuberculosis. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2020 Feb; 96(2):114937. View Abstract

  67. Correction to: Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pediatric stool samples using TruTip technology. BMC Infect Dis. 2019 10 16; 19(1):856. View Abstract

  68. Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pediatric stool samples using TruTip technology. BMC Infect Dis. 2019 Jun 27; 19(1):563. View Abstract

  69. Comparison of Clostridioides difficile Stool Toxin Concentrations in Adults With Symptomatic Infection and Asymptomatic Carriage Using an Ultrasensitive Quantitative Immunoassay. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 01 01; 68(1):78-86. View Abstract

  70. Assessing the Burden of Clostridium difficile Infection in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. J Clin Microbiol. 2018 03; 56(3). View Abstract

  71. Discovery of a unique Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein through proteomic analysis of urine from patients with active tuberculosis. Microbes Infect. 2018 04; 20(4):228-235. View Abstract

  72. The Cost-effectiveness of a Point-of-Care Paper Transaminase Test for Monitoring Treatment of HIV/TB Co-Infected Persons. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2017; 4(4):ofx194. View Abstract

  73. A novel device for collecting and dispensing fingerstick blood for point of care testing. PLoS One. 2017; 12(8):e0183625. View Abstract

  74. Clinical Utility of Preimplantation Homograft Cultures in Patients Undergoing Congenital Cardiac Surgery. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2017 Jun 01; 6(2):202-204. View Abstract

  75. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Suppurative Arthritis in a 12-year-old Boy After an Unusual Fresh Water Exposure. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2017 04; 36(4):431-433. View Abstract

  76. Evaluating Novel Diagnostics in an Outbreak Setting: Lessons Learned from Ebola. J Clin Microbiol. 2017 05; 55(5):1255-1261. View Abstract

  77. Diagnosis of Ebola Virus Disease: Past, Present, and Future. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2016 Oct; 29(4):773-93. View Abstract

  78. Performance of the GeneXpert Ebola Assay for Diagnosis of Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone: A Field Evaluation Study. PLoS Med. 2016 Mar; 13(3):e1001980. View Abstract

  79. Ultrasensitive Detection and Quantification of Toxins for Optimized Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile Infection. J Clin Microbiol. 2016 Feb; 54(2):259-64. View Abstract

  80. Field Laboratory Evaluation of the GeneXpert Ebola Assay for Diagnosis of Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2015 Dec; 2(Suppl 1). View Abstract

  81. ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test kit for Ebola - Authors' reply. Lancet. 2015 Dec 05; 386(10010):2255-6. View Abstract

  82. The Positive Predictive Value of Lyme Elisa for the Diagnosis of Lyme Disease in Children. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2015 Nov; 34(11):1260-2. View Abstract

  83. Development of an automated on-chip bead-based ELISA platform. Anal Methods. 2015 Oct 07; 7(19):8472-8477. View Abstract

  84. Development and Validation of Digital Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for Ultrasensitive Detection and Quantification of Clostridium difficile Toxins in Stool. J Clin Microbiol. 2015 Oct; 53(10):3204-12. View Abstract

  85. Paper-Based RNA Extraction, in Situ Isothermal Amplification, and Lateral Flow Detection for Low-Cost, Rapid Diagnosis of Influenza A (H1N1) from Clinical Specimens. Anal Chem. 2015 Aug 04; 87(15):7872-9. View Abstract

  86. ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test kit for point-of-care and laboratory-based testing for Ebola virus disease: a field validation study. Lancet. 2015 Aug 29; 386(9996):867-74. View Abstract

  87. Performance of an Optimized Paper-Based Test for Rapid Visual Measurement of Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) in Fingerstick and Venipuncture Samples. PLoS One. 2015; 10(5):e0128118. View Abstract

  88. Differential immunodetection of toxin B from highly virulent Clostridium difficile BI/NAP-1/027. J Clin Microbiol. 2015 May; 53(5):1705-8. View Abstract

  89. Challenges in the development of an immunochromatographic interferon-gamma test for diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis. PLoS One. 2013; 8(12):e85447. View Abstract

  90. Interferon ?-release assays for diagnosis of latent tuberculosis in healthcare workers in low-incidence settings: pros and cons. Clin Chem. 2014 May; 60(5):714-8. View Abstract

  91. Field evaluation of a prototype paper-based point-of-care fingerstick transaminase test. PLoS One. 2013; 8(9):e75616. View Abstract

  92. Performance of Xpert MTB/RIF on pleural tissue for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis. Eur Respir J. 2013 Nov; 42(5):1427-9. View Abstract

  93. A point-of-care paper-based fingerstick transaminase test: toward low-cost "lab-on-a-chip" technology for the developing world. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 May; 11(5):478-82. View Abstract

  94. A Disposable Microfluidic Virus Concentration Device Based on Evaporation and Interfacial Tension. Diagnostics (Basel). 2013 Mar; 3(1):155-169. View Abstract

  95. Validation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv1681 protein as a diagnostic marker of active pulmonary tuberculosis. J Clin Microbiol. 2013 May; 51(5):1367-73. View Abstract

  96. A point-of-care paper-based fingerstick transaminase test: toward low-cost "lab-on-a-chip" technology for the developing world. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013; 5(11):478-82.

  97. Validation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv1681 protein as a diagnostic marker of active pulmonary tuberculosis. J Clin Microbiol. 2013; 5(51):1367-73.

  98. A paper-based multiplexed transaminase test for low-cost, point-of-care liver function testing. Sci Transl Med. 2012 Sep 19; 4(152):152ra129. View Abstract

  99. Microfluidic chip for molecular amplification of influenza A RNA in human respiratory specimens. PLoS One. 2012; 7(3):e33176. View Abstract

  100. Microfluidic chip for molecular amplification of influenza A RNA in human respiratory specimens. PLoS One. 2012; 3(7):e33176.

  101. Low yield of chest radiography in a large tuberculosis screening program. Radiology. 2010 Sep; 256(3):998-1004. View Abstract

  102. Ruling out novel H1N1 influenza virus infection with direct fluorescent antigen testing. Clin Infect Dis. 2009 Sep 15; 49(6):e66-8. View Abstract

  103. Evaluation of the effect of treatment of latent tuberculosis infection on QuantiFERON-TB gold assay results. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2009 Apr; 30(4):392-5. View Abstract

  104. Discordant QuantiFERON-TB Gold test results among US healthcare workers with increased risk of latent tuberculosis infection: a problem or solution? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2008 Sep; 29(9):878-86. View Abstract

  105. Development of a Novel Urine Antigen Detection Test for Active Tuberculosis. 43rd Joint Tuberculosis/Leprosy Conference and Diagnostics Workshop . 2008.

  106. Identification and characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in urine of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis: an innovative and alternative approach of antigen discovery of useful microbial molecules. Clin Exp Immunol. 2008 Jul; 153(1):56-62. View Abstract

  107. Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ornithine carboamyltransferase in urine as a possible molecular marker of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2008 Apr; 15(4):638-43. View Abstract

  108. Screening Health Care Workers (HCW) with Quantiferon-Gold: Possible False Negative Results in HCW with High Pre-Test Probability of Latent Tuberculosis Infection. Presented at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) Conference and Global Symposium on Interferon-gamma Assays, Vancouver, Canada, February 2007. 2007.

  109. Specimen dilution increases the diagnostic utility of the gen-probe mycobacterium tuberculosis direct test. Am J Clin Pathol. 2006 Jul; 126(1):142-7. View Abstract

  110. Reconstitution of membrane transport powered by a novel dimeric kinesin motor of the Unc104/KIF1A family purified from Dictyostelium. J Cell Biol. 1999 Nov 01; 147(3):493-506. View Abstract

  111. Reconstitution of Microtubule-based Organelle Transport Using Factors Purified from Dictyostelium. 1999.

  112. In vitro microtubule-based organelle transport in wild-type Dictyostelium and cells overexpressing a truncated dynein heavy chain. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 1998; 40(3):304-14. View Abstract
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