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Chelsea Swartchick, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Chemistry
To see if Chelsea Swartchick is accepting new patients, or for assistance finding a UC Davis doctor, please call 800-2-UCDAVIS (800-282-3284).
Locations and Contact
Philosophy of Care
Dr. Swartchick is committed to advancing laboratory medicine in support of high-quality patient care and strives to ensure that laboratory testing provides accurate and clinically meaningful information.
Clinical Interests
Dr. Swartchick is a clinical chemist with expertise in laboratory medicine, clinical laboratory consultation, and interpretation of complex laboratory results. Her clinical interests include analytical interference, assay troubleshooting, laboratory test utilization, and diagnostic quality, with particular expertise in clinical and forensic toxicology and mass spectrometry.
Research/Academic Interests
Dr. Swartchick’s research focuses on improving the accuracy, interpretation, and clinical utility of laboratory testing. Her research interests include analytical interference, clinical and forensic toxicology, mass spectrometry, assay development and validation, and laboratory test utilization. She also has a strong interest in education and advancing the practice of laboratory medicine.
Division
Clinical Pathology
Undergraduate School
Chemistry, University of Portland, 2019
Other School
Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 2024
Fellowship
Clinical Chemistry, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, 2024-2026
ADLM Therapeutic Drug Management and Toxicology Division (TDMTOX) Abstract Award, Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM), 2026,
Selection for ADLM 026 Student Research Awards Poster Competition, Anaheim CA July 2026,
Paul E. Standjord Young Investigator Award, Association for Clinical Laboratory and Analytical Sciences (ACLPS), 2025,
Honorable Mention, ADLM Student Oral Competition, Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM), 2025,
Top Four Highest-Scoring ADLM Student Research Abstract, Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM), 2025,
Fuson Travel Award, Urbana IL Jan 2024,
Beckman Institute Graduate Fellowship, Urbana IL Apr 2023 - Jul 2024,
Vanderveer Vorhees Best Original Research Proposal, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2023,
Reinhart Academic Fellowship, Urbana IL Aug 2022 - May 2023,
TiME Day Best Poster Presentation, Urbana IL Mar 2023,
Society of Young Clinical Laboratorians Travel Grant May 2023,
Chicago ADLM Local Section Education Award, Urbana IL Jun 2023,
Excellence in Teaching Recognition, Urbana IL Aug 2019 - May 2021,
Illinois Chemistry Enta Fellowship, Urbana IL Aug 2019 - May 2020,
Swartchick CB, Wockenfus AM, Kelley BR, Katzman BK. Evaluating Rapid Serum Tubes (RST) for Reducing Hemolysis Rates in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Pilot Study. In preparation. 2026
Swartchick CB, Schoer RM, Ott KJ, Theel ES, Karon BS, Clements CM, Donato LJ. Implementation of Rapid Point-of-Care STI Testing in the Emergency Department: Impact on Testing Practices, Turnaround Time, and Patient Management. In preparation. 2026
Swartchick CB, Eaton DL, Wockenfus AM, Katzman BM, Bornhorst JA, Karon BS, Jannetto PJ. Comparison of Venous and Capillary Dried Blood Spot Sampling for Lead Measurement by ICP-MS: Implications for Pediatric Testing. In preparation. 2026
Swartchick CB, Snozek CLH, Dopico JT, Kaleta EJ. Unexpected increase in false-positive results following benzodiazepine immunoassay reformulation. Clin Biochem. 2026. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2026.111179.
Swartchick CB, Maus AD, Jazdzewski DJ, Langman LJ, Grebe SK, Jannetto PJ. Incidental Ethanol Exposure from Household Products: Implications for Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) Positivity. Submitted. 2026
Swartchick CB, Boysen JL, Pearce RW, Baumann NA, Katzman BM. Analytically accurate, clinically inaccurate: A diagnostic case of Pseudohyperparathyroidism. Clin Chim Acta. 2026. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2026.121274.
Swartchick CB, Rosemark CL, Block DR, Baumann NA, Katzman BK. New Insights into Unexpected Enzymatic Creatinine Assay Interference: A Case of Acetaminophen Toxicity. J. Appl. Lab. Med. 2026. doi: 10.1093/jalm/jfag111
Swartchick CB, Langman LJ. The Devil’s Advocate Asks: To TDM or Not to TDM? In: Update on Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM). Clinics in Laboratory Medicine. Elsevier; 2026. In press.
Swartchick CB, Gurudu R, Lasho AA, Block DR, Baumann NA, Katzman BK, Meeusen JW. Feasibility of Capillary Self-Collected Blood Specimens for Routine Outpatient Laboratory Testing. J. Appl. Lab. Med. 2026. doi: 10.1093/jalm/jfag075.
Swartchick CB, Larkin JM, Kohlhagen MC, Murray DL, Willrich MAV.* A new IgG-Lambda band during therapy in light-chain myeloma. J. Appl. Lab. Med. 2026; jfag004. doi:10.1093/jalm/jfag004.
Swartchick CB, Dirak M, Wenger LCF, Tapia Hernandez R, Lee MC, Chan J.* Activity-bases Bioluminescent Logic-Gate Probe Reveals Crosstalk Between the Inflammatory Tumor Microenvironment and ALDH1A1 in Cancer Cells. JACS Au. 2025, 5, 1, 320-331.
Bandyopadhyay S, Zhao Z, East AK, Tapia Hernandez R, Forzano JA, Shapiro BA, Yadav AK, Swartchick CB, Chan J.* An Activity-Based Nitric Oxide-Responsive Porphyrin for Site-Selective and Nascent Cancer Ablation. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2024, 106, 10, 9680-9689.
Swartchick CB, Chan J.* Leveraging Coordination Chemistry to Visualize Metal Ions Via Photoacoustic Imaging. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 2023, 74, 102312.
Rathnamalala CSL, Hernandez S, Lucero MY, Swartchick CB, Shaik AK, Hammer NI, East AK, Gwaltney SR, Chan J, Scott CN.* Xanthene-Based Nitric Oxide-Responsive Nanosensor for Photoacoustic Imaging in the SWIR Window. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202214855.
Berg A, Swartchick CB, Forest N, Chavarria M, Deem M, Sillin AN, Li Y, Riscoe TM, Nilsen A, Riscoe MK, Wood WJL.* 2-hydroxy-1,4-napthoquinones with 3-alkyldiarylether Groups: Synthesis and Plasmodium Falciparum Inhibitory Activity. Future Med. Chem. 2022, 14, 1611-1620.
Zhao Z, Swartchick CB, Chan J. Targeted Contrast Agents and Activatable Probes for Photoacoustic Imaging of Cancer. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2022, 51, 829-868.