Andrew Berens, MBA, MLS(ASCP),SM is a passionate Microbiologist who strives to think outside the box in every situation. His specific interests within Clinical Microbiology are Bacteriology, Parasitology, and Mycobacteriology and has been known to call Parasitology his "guilty pleasure". Berens takes education and career growth very seriously and thinks that teaching others is essential to the expansion of our field. He makes it a priority to remain very involved in the Clinical Microbiology field and enjoys learning new things and networking with peers. He shares his ideas and teaches at every opportunity he gets, that's probably why he's known to dress up every Halloween as something that really makes you think, "WHAT are you even supposed to be?" This costume is usually relevant to the time like the picture on the left from Halloween 2020 where he dressed up as "The second-most important microorganism of 2020"... AKA: Thermus aquaticus, the thermophilic bacteria from which Taq polymerase (used in PCR testing) is acquired. He has even been working on constructing his own website to share his love of Microbiology (www.mainstreetmicro.wordpress.com)! In Beren's free time, he enjoys time at home with his family, but is always up for a good fishing trip or Red Sox game!