Overview

I am interested in how the clinical laboratory impacts pediatric and perinatal healthcare and outcomes. My research interests span areas of laboratory medicine that impact test use, interpretation and quality, including laboratory quality improvement; optimizing laboratory test utilization; improving test interpretation; and developing, improving and characterizing laboratory testing methods.

Publications

Vitamin D Toxicity from an Unusual and Unexpected Source: A Report of 2 Cases
Hormone Research in Paediatrics
Carolina Silva and Angela W.S. Fung and Vanessa Masson and Katrina Assen and Valerie Ward and Jordan McKenzie and Tom D. Blydt-Hansen and Jake Cosme and Grace van der Gugten and Vilte E. Barakauskas and Danya Arielle Fox
DOI: 10.1159/000526755
2023

SARS-CoV-2 Serology: Validation of High-Throughput Chemiluminescent Immunoassay (CLIA) Platforms and a Field Study in British Columbia
Journal of Clinical Virology
Inna Sekirov and Vilte E. Barakauskas and Janet Simons and Darrel Cook and Brandon Bates and Laura Burns and Shazia Masud and Marthe Charles and Meghan McLennan and Annie Mak and Navdeep Chahil and Rohit Vijh and Althea Hayden and David Goldfarb and Paul N Levett and Mel Krajden and Muhammad Morshed
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2021.104914
07/2021

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among Vancouver public school staff in British Columbia, Canada
David M. Goldfarb and Louise C. Mâsse and Allison W. Watts and Sarah M. Hutchison and Lauren Muttucomaroe and Else S. Bosman and Vilte E. Barakauskas and Alexandra Choi and Michael A. Irvine and Frederic Reicherz and Daniel Coombs and Collette O’Reilly and Sadaf Sediqi and Hamid R. Razzaghian and Manish Sadarangani and Sheila F. O’Brien and Pascal M. Lavoie
DOI: 10.1101/2021.06.16.21258861
06/2021

Quantitative mass spectrometry reveals changes in SNAP-25 isoforms in schizophrenia.
Barakauskas VE and Moradian A and Barr AM and Beasley CL and Rosoklija G and Mann JJ and Ilievski B and Stankov A and Dwork AJ and Falkai P and Morin GB and Honer WG
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.03.002
PubMed: 26971072
11/2016

Process Optimization to Improve Immunosuppressant Drug Testing Turnaround Time.
Barakauskas VE and Bradshaw TA and Smith LD and Lehman CM and Johnson-Davis KL
DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqw087
PubMed: 27453440
08/2016

Identification of Hb Wayne and its effects on HbA1c measurement by 5 methods.
Rodríguez-Capote K and Estey MP and Barakauskas VE and Burton T and Holmes D and Krause R and Higgins TN
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2015.07.100
PubMed: 26247176
11/2015

Erroneous diabetes diagnosis: a case of HbA1c interference.
Turley E and Rodríguez-Capote K and Estey MP and Barakauskas VE and Bailey GR and McKenzie LM and Higgins TN
DOI: 10.2337/dc15-0733
PubMed: 26294665
10/2015

Hemoglobin C in a patient with sickle cell anemia: transfusion-acquired SC disease.
Estey MP and Capote KR and Barakauskas VE and Clarke G and Higgins T
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2015.01.013
PubMed: 25661304
04/2015

Effects of haloperidol and clozapine administration on oxidative stress in rat brain, liver and serum.
Andreazza AC and Barakauskas VE and Fazeli S and Feresten A and Shao L and Wei V and Wu CH and Barr AM and Beasley CL
DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.02.028
PubMed: 25684243
03/2015

Digesting all the options: laboratory testing for celiac disease.
Barakauskas VE and Lam GY and Estey MP
DOI: 10.3109/10408363.2014.958813
PubMed: 25244521
12/2014

Increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in prefrontal cortex in psychotic illness.
Feresten AH and Barakauskas V and Ypsilanti A and Barr AM and Beasley CL
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.07.024
PubMed: 23911257
10/2013

Unresolved discrepancies between cannabinoid test results for infant urine.
Barakauskas VE and Davis R and Krasowski MD and McMillin GA
DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2012.190090
PubMed: 22829312
09/2012

Taking candy from the baby.
Clinton SR and Barakauskas VE and Grenache DG
DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2011.179481
PubMed: 22745260
07/2012

Effects of sub-chronic clozapine and haloperidol administration on brain lipid levels.
Barakauskas VE and Ypsilanti AR and Barr AM and Innis SM and Honer WG and Beasley CL
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2010.03.010
PubMed: 20227455
05/2010

Pregnancy decreases oestrogen receptor alpha expression and pyknosis, but not cell proliferation or survival, in the hippocampus.
Pawluski JL and Barakauskas VE and Galea LA
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2010.01960.x
PubMed: 20136685
04/2010

A novel mechanism and treatment target for presynaptic abnormalities in specific striatal regions in schizophrenia.
Barakauskas VE and Beasley CL and Barr AM and Ypsilanti AR and Li HY and Thornton AE and Wong H and Rosokilja G and Mann JJ and Mancevski B and Jakovski Z and Davceva N and Ilievski B and Dwork AJ and Falkai P and Honer WG
DOI: 10.1038/npp.2009.228
PubMed: 20072114
04/2010

Research

Current Projects
I am interested in laboratory quality improvement, optimization of test utilization and interpretation, as well as clinical laboratory method development and validation for application to pediatric and maternity care.

I am currently working to characterize the performance of analytical methods available at C&W for body fluid testing. In a hospital setting, body fluid testing (for example, pleural and peritoneal fluids or CSF) can aid in diagnosis and patient management.

I am also working towards improving laboratory test interpretation during pregnancy. Currently, results of laboratory tests for pregnant women are compared to reference intervals for non-pregnant females. Significant physiological changes occur during pregnancy which can change blood chemistry parameters. While these changes are a normal part of pregnancy, they may be wrongly interpretted and result in inappropriate treatment or follow-up. This may adversely impact both mothers and babies, as well as impacting the health care system. Appropriate reference ranges for women during pregnancy are required to make appropriate clinical care decisions. My aim is to inform, update and produce pregnancy-specific reference intervals, which will improve maternal health care in Canada.

Honours & Awards

2004-2005 CIHR/MSFHR Strategic Training Program in Neurobiology, UBC

2011 AACC, Rocky Mountain Section [Travel & Meeting] Scholarship

2004-2006 National Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) Postgraduate Scholarship – Master’s PGSM

2017 Mass Spectrometery in the Clinical Laboratory (MASCL) Meeting Travel Grant

2010 CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award, September competition

2008 British Columbia Proteomics Network training allowance

2006-2008 National Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral CGSD

2006-2008 Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Junior Trainee Award

2011 University of Utah, Department of Pathology Research Support Funds

2007 Michael W. Stahl Memorial Graduate Scholarship – University of British Columbia

2006 Young Scientist [Travel] Award – 13th Biennial Winter Workshop on Schizophrenia Research

2008-2010 Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) Senior Trainee Award

2012 American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), Society for Young Clinical Laboratorians (SYCL) 2012 Domestic Travel Grant

Research Group Members

Salina Kung, Resident Physician / Research Assistant
Veena Lin, Medical Student
Teila McLaren-Gabriel, Medical Student