The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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UNC School of Medicine

Nichole Korpi–Steiner, PhD, DABCC, FACB

Associate Professor

Education

Dr. Korpi-Steiner received her B.A. in Biology and Chemistry at the Minnesota State University Moorhead and earned her Ph.D. in Biomolecular Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She completed a fellowship in Clinical Chemistry at the Mayo Clinic in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.  She is board certified in Clinical Chemistry and a Fellow of the Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine Academy.

Select Awards and Honors

  • Society For Young Clinical Laboratorians (SYCL) Mentorship Award, Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine, 2023
  • Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine Academy Distinguished Abstract Award, 2022
  • Best Abstract Award in Health Equity and Access, Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine, Health Equity and Access Division, 2022
  • Philip M. Blatt Award for Excellence in Teaching Laboratory Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2019
  • Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine Academy Distinguished Abstract Award, 2018
  • Junior Faculty Development Award, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2018
  • Society for Young Clinical Laboratorians Service Award, Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine, 2017
  • Best Abstract Award in Patient Safety, Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine, Management Sciences and Patient Safety Division, 2015

Clinical Activities

I am the director of the UNC Health McLendon Special Chemistry Lab. The testing performed in this lab is more labor-intensive and high-complexity; importantly, we perform diagnostic tests for Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Myeloma, Multiple Sclerosis, immunosuppressant and opioid testing, and others. These tests are among the most technically challenging and clinically impactful assays that directly support patient care.

One of my most important scholarly achievements is my local and national leadership in poing of care testing (POCT) practice. POCT is performed at or near the patient by non-laboratorians and continues to expand in scope and complexity. At UNC Health, > 8,000 non-laboratorians perform POCT providing > 600,000 test results annually that clinically impact patient care. Administratively, I hold the clinical laboratory improvement amendments (CLIA) certificate and am the CLIA lab director of POCT at the UNC Medical Center and am responsible for the overall operation and administration of POCT including but not limited to: appropriate test menu and methods, clinical consultation, procedures, quality management, safety, and compliance. Moreover, I provide leadership and guidance for POCT practices at > 35 UNC Health hospital- and faculty-based ambulatory clinics to ensure quality testing for patient care.

Contributions to Science

Complete List of Published Work: My PubMed Collection

Clinical chemistry testing in the clinical laboratory is invaluable for the diagnosis of disease and monitoring patient response to therapy.  Assuring high-quality test results and understanding of test limitations are key for appropriate test interpretation that impacts patient outcomes. I lead and publish several studies focused on understanding chemistry test limitations and approaches to mitigate risk of potentially erroneous results with application in patient care practices for patient safety and quality care.

  1. Waggoner D, Thoren K, Maynard R, Twum K, Korpi-Steiner N. Evaluation of serum kappa free ligh chain reference interval using a new stabilized calibrator. JALM. 2025; In Press.
  2. Twum K, Korpi-Steiner N, Wei R, Cotten SW. A gradual positive bias in chloride measurements with a major automated chemistry platform. JALM. 2025; 10(4):969-975.
  3. Maynard RD, Bates P, Korpi-Steiner N. Monitoring tacrolimus toxicity following Paxlovid administration in a liver transplant patient. PLM. 2023; 36:e00322. PMID: 37649541.
  4. Moderator: Peck Palmer OM; Experts: Wheeler SE, Plebani M, Patterson PD, Korpi-Steiner NL, Martin C. Recognition of the prehospital preanalytical phase: Collaborative efforts between laboratory medicine and emergency medicine to ensure quality testing. Clin Chem. 2020; 66(8):998-1005.
  5. Stieglitz H, Korpi-Steiner N. Characterization of biotin interference in 21 Vitros 5600 immunoassays and risk mitigation for patient safety at a large academic medical center. Clin Biochem. 2020; 75:53-61.
  6. Cotten SW, Shajani-Yi Z, Cervinski MA, Vorhees T, Tuchman SA, Korpi-Steiner N. Reference intervals and diagnostic ranges for serum free k and free l immunoglobulin light chains vary by instrument platform: Implications for classification of patient results in a multi-center study. Clin Biochem. 2018; 58:100-107.
  7. Stieglitz H, Korpi-Steiner N, Katzman B, Mersereau JE, Styner M. Suspected testosterone-producing tumor in a patient taking biotin supplements. JES. 2018;2(6):563-569.

Point of care testing is frequently utilized in select patient care settings in order to reduce test turn-around-time and support patient-centered care.  However, point of care test performance characteristics can vary by methodology and technology. By combining point of care device performance findings with clinical practice guidelines, we have published several studies that inform laboratory medicine colleagues about the clinical utility, performance and limitations of point of care tests.

  1. Korpi-Steiner N, Cotten SW, Little RR, Kirk D. Discordant point-of-care and laboratory hemoglobin A1c concentrations in ambulatory settings. JALM. 2025; 10(2):519-522.
  2. Stieglitz HM, Korpi-Steiner N. Pulse oximeter performance across populations with diverse skin tones. Clin Chem. 2025 Jul; 71(7):826-827.
  3. Shaw JLV, Bannuru RR, Beach L, ElSayed NA, Freckmann G, Fuzery AK, Fung AWS, Gilbert J, Huang Y, Korpi-Steiner N, Logan S, Longo R, MacKay D, Maks L, Pleus S, Rogers K, Jeffrie Seley J, Taxin Z, Thompson-Hutchinson F, Tolan NV, Tran NK, Umpierrez GE, Venner AA. Consensus considerations and good practice points for use of continuous glucose monitoring systems in hospital settings. Diabetes Care. 2024; 47(12): 2062-2075.
  4. Maynard RD, Funk T, Harrill W, Jin J, Smith D, Smith G, Korpi-Steiner N. Analytical performance evaluation of three point-of-care CBC analyzers for management of clozapine therapy in ambulatory psychiatry clinics. JALM. 2023; 8(6):1028-1041.
  5. Korpi-Steiner N, Horowitz G, Tesfazghi M, Suh-Lailam B. Current issues in blood gas analysis. JALM. 2023; 8(2):372-381.
  6. Dalton H, Martin M, Garcia-Filion P, Shavelle D, Huang PH, Clark J, Beinart S, Isreal A, Korpi-Steiner N.  Activated clotting time in inpatient diagnostic and interventional settings. J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2022; 54(4):660-668.
  7. Abel G, Brugnara C, Das S, David K, Deaton-Mohney EB, Halverson K, Mann PA, Moore D, Nichols JH, Ondracek CR, Korpi-Steiner N.  AACC. Point-of-care testing: A “how-to” guide for the non-laboratorian. Washington, DC: American Association for Clinical Chemistry; 2022.
  8. Waggoner D, Delaney S, Korpi-Steiner N. Comparative analyses of three poin-of-care urine drug test devices performance characteristics for use in ambulatory clinic settings. JALM. 2022; 7(2):495-502.
Nichole Korpi-Steiner Headshot