PNNL

Dr. Rachel Bartholomew is a technology and policy advisor and team leader in the Chemical and Biological Signatures Group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). She has over two decades of experience applying molecular biology to address challenges related to national security, policy, and non-proliferation.  She has served as principal investigator and project manager for a variety of sponsors, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Energy, State, and Defense, engaging with a range of domestic and international stakeholders including first responders, law enforcement, customs and border personnel, policymakers, and scientific subject matter experts.  

Topics of these efforts range from scientific engagements on WMD threats with international partners, assessment of the research for the future of emergency management, development and testing biological agent characterization methods and testing of white powder samples and for the first responder community, and analysis and visualization of U.S. biodefense policy, to supporting DHS to enable assessment of first responder tools and equipment. She has publications in the synthetic biology supply chain, the application of artificial intelligence to the future of emergency management, a tool for biodefense policy visualization, and the evaluation of off-the-shelf biodetection kits.  

In 2023, Bartholomew was named Deputy Director for the Northwest Regional Technology Center, a virtual resource operated by PNNL to support local and regional preparedness, resiliency, response, and recovery. Concurrently, she is a leader on projects exploring first responder technology, emergency management, and the application of data visualization to detect and track disease. These efforts leverage her decades of experience building relationships and connecting with stakeholder communities and translating their technical requirements into research and solutions. 

She received a BA in biology from Case Western Reserve University and PhD in animal physiology from Cornell University, where she was a National Science Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellow. Her post-doctoral training was completed at the FBI Laboratory Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit as a Visiting Scientist.

• Biosecurity
• Biodefense
• Molecular Biology
• Microbiology
• Testing and Evaluation

• PhD in animal physiology, Cornell University
• BA in biology, Case Western Reserve University

• American Society of Microbiology
• American Association for the Advance of Science

2018–2020 - Management Skills Development Program, PNNL

2017 - Outstanding Performance Award, PNNL

2017 - Nominated for Of the Year (OTY) Award:  PNNL NSD OTY Core Values Award

2014 - Outstanding Performance Award, PNNL

2014 - OTY Award:  PNNL NSD Project Team OTY for DHS Project; Role:  Project Manager, PNNL

2012 - Nominated and selected to attend “Battelle Women in Science and Engineering Symposium” and part of the delegation from PNNL

2010 - OTY Award:  PNNL NSD Project Team OTY Award for DHS Project; Role:  Project Manager, PNNL

2006–2008 - Scientist and Engineer Development Program, PNNL

2000–2001 - State University of New York Fellowship, Cornell University

1997–2000 - National Science Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, Cornell University

Selected Publications, Manuscripts, and Client Reports

• D Cotter, C Bapst-Stump, A Lesperance, and RA Bartholomew. “Emergency Management of Tomorrow: Emerging Technologies and Concepts," Domestic Preparedness Journal. December 11, 2024. Accessed October 2023. https://www.domprep.com/articles/emergency-management-of-tomorrow-emerging-technologies-and-concepts/ 
• RA Bartholomew and KM Omberg. “Making Sense of the 2018 National Biodefense Strategy.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. January 2019. https://thebulletin.org/2019/01/making-sense-of-the-2018-national-biodefense-strategy/   
• KM Omberg, LR Franklin, DR Jackson, KL Taylor, KL Wahl, A Lesperance,  EM Wynkoop, JAS Gray, OP Leiser, SL Frazar, RM Ozanich, and RA Bartholomew. “A Publicly Available Landscape Analysis Tool for Biodefense.” Health Security. February 16(1): 2018. DOI: 10.1089/hs.2017.0088
• Frazar S,  Hund G, Bonheyo GT, Diggans J, Bartholomew RA, Gehrig L, Greaves M. 2017; Analyzing the Synthetic Biology Supply Chain Reveals Opportunities to Enable Beneficial Research and Deter Unwanted Consequences.” Health Security. August 15(4). Online pre-release:  DOI: 10.1089/hs.2016.0083
• Bartholomew RA, RM Ozanich, JS Arce, A Heredia-Langer, KH Jarman, HA Colburn, BA Hofstad, JR Hutchison, AM Melville, CJ Bruckner-Lea. 2017 “Evaluation of Immunoassays and General Biological Indicator Tests for Bacillus anthracis and Ricin Detection.” Health Security. Feb; 15(1): 81-96.
• RM Ozanich, Colburn HA, KV Victry, RA Bartholomew, JS Arce, A Heredia-Langer, KH Jarman, HK Kreuzer, CJ Bruckner-Lea. 2017. “Evaluation of PCR instruments For Field Detection of Bacillus anthracis.” Health Security. Feb; 15(1): 70-80.
• RA Bartholomew, J Hutchison, T Straub, D Call. 2016. PCR, Real-Time PCR, Digital PCR, and Isothermal Amplification, p 2.3.2-1-2.3.2-13. In Yates M, Nakatsu C, Miller R, Pillai S (ed), Manual of Environmental Microbiology, Fourth Edition. ASM Press, Washington, DC. doi: 10.1128/9781555818821.ch2.3.2
• T Straub T, D Call, CJ Bruckner-Lea, H Colburn, C Baird, RA Bartholomew, RM Ozanich, K Jarman. 2016. "Field Application of Pathogen Detection Technologies," p 2.3.4-1-2.3.4-17. In Yates M, Nakatsu C, Miller R, Pillai S (ed), Manual of Environmental Microbiology, Fourth Edition. ASM Press, Washington, DC. doi: 10.1128/9781555818821.ch2.3.4
• Bartholomew RA, Ozanich RM, Bruckner-Lea CJ.  2015 “Technology Development and Science-Based Solutions.” Domestic Preparedness Journal.  http://www.domesticpreparedness.com/pub/docs/DPJOctober15.pdf 
• Ozanich RM, CJ Bruckner-Lea, RA Bartholomew. 2015. "National Laboratory Support for First Responders’ Biodetection Needs." Domestic Preparedness Journal. https://www.domesticpreparedness.com/Industry/Standards/National_Laboratory_Support_for_First_Responders%60_Biodetection_Needs/