Later, she pursued fellowship training in clinical microbiology at Washington University, which she completed in 2009.
[1][2] Burnham is a professor of Pathology and Immunology, Molecular Microbiology, Pediatrics and Medicine at Washington University.
[4][2] Burnham's research is focused on rapid pathogen identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing to prevent infectious diseases.
[4] She is the co-editor of the textbook The Dark Art of Blood Cultures, which received praise in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, where Stephen M. Brecher called the work, "a wonderful historical perspective of the past, present, and future of blood cultures.
[4] Burnham has held senior positions and leadership roles in several professional organizations, including the American Society for Microbiology, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, the American Academy of Microbiology, and the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists.