About
Summary
I have dedicated the majority of my adult life to the scientific field, encompassing a broad range of disciplines including clinical laboratory science, research, and public health. My career began as a medical technologist, after which I pursued a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology with a focus on host-pathogen interactions. Throughout my career, I have extensively studied the mechanisms of sepsis and sepsis-induced coagulopathy, as well as transfusion medicine and hemorrhage.
In addition to my research endeavors, I have leveraged my clinical laboratory expertise to assist in the establishment of two clinical diagnostic laboratories by developing, standardizing, and assessing assay performance against gold standards. More recently, my focus has shifted towards the public health sector, where I concentrate on disease prevalence, control, and mitigation of potential outbreaks through the identification of risk factors and educational initiatives aimed at curbing disease transmission.
While I remain open to opportunities involving wet-lab work, my primary objective in my current career search is to secure a position that offers flexibility, enabling me to prioritize time with my family making a remote or hybrid work environment ideal. I derive particular satisfaction from the analysis and visualization of data, appreciating the process of assembling data to illustrate relationships for the intended audience.
Positions
Epidemiologist Sep 2023 -
- Analyze, interprete, reporting, and disseminate data to describe the health status of the community and counseling top political figures as to strategies for mitigating medical outbreaks and create policies to prevent future outbreaks.
- Provide technical assistance to interpret program evaluation processes by creating databases and queries of current infection rates in order to provide stakeholders with up-to-date statistics.
- Coordinate with the State of Alaska Department of Public Health for disease surveillance and epidemiological investigations.
Clinical Research Scientist Aug 2022 - Jun 2023
- Develop clinical studies to evaluate efficacy and equivalence of laboratory-developed tests against FDA cleared comparator assays.
- Analyze and transformed study data for statistical modeling using Minitab Statistical Software, GraphPad Prism, Excel, and Analyze-It.
- Prepare and present reports of research findings for company executives, external scientific collaborators, and research team members to guide decisions related to test development and company commercialization.
Technical Supervisor (Consultant) Jul 2020 - Dec 2020
Advanced Diagnostics Laboratory
- Consult with owners and stakeholders regarding laboratory equipment needs, assay development, testing protocols, and hiring decisions related to start-up and commercialization of the laboratory.
- Oversee daily laboratory operations including: verifying and validating patient test results, optimizing protocols, and ensuring laboratory compliance with CLIA/COLA regulations until a permanent laboratory director could be recruited and hired.
- Create laboratory standard operating procedures for employees and provided necessary training to ensure compliance.
Staff Scientist Oct 2018 - Apr 2022
Trauma and Combat Casualty Care, United States Army Institute of Surgical Research
- Perform research with focus in sepsis, coagulopathy, hemorrhage, and hemostasis for the preservation of life and limb in combat settings, managing a team of research technicians and oversaw surgical procedures related to the current research investigations.
- Create laboratory and animal research protocols, condensed research findings into scientific peer-reviewed publications, and created grant proposals leading to several million dollars of grant awards for the research division.
- Present research findings at domestic and international conferences on behalf of the research division and secured several collaborations with extramural contacts to advance research projects and secure additional project funding.
Postdoctoral Fellow Aug 2015 - Oct 2018
Blood and Coagulation Research, United States Army Institute of Surgical Research
- Design and execute research studies examining sepsis induced coagulopathy and methods of mitigation.
- Analyze, model, and create visualizations of data from various research projects.
- Prepare scientific peer-reviewed publications and research protocols necessary for grant-based project funding.
Graduate Research Assistant/PhD Student Aug 2010 - Aug 2015
Center for Emerging Infectious Genomics, University of Texas at San Antonio
- Assist tenured professors in their research and preparation of publications related to vaccine development, sexually transmitted disease, and innate immunity research.
- Perform DNA and RNA sequencing using various platforms to analyze gene expression for identification of possible vaccine targets leading to numerous publications and securing additional research funding.
- Conduct research related to Gram negative bacteria and the host innate immune response creating a live vaccine strain against the highly multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, a common hospital acquired infection.
Clinical Laboratory Scientist III Jul 2007 - May 2010
Virology, Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics
- Ensured the accuracy and reliability of test results through strict adherence to quality control procedures and protocols.
- Worked closely with healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and other laboratory staff to provide comprehensive patient care.
- Interpreted test results and provide accurate data to healthcare providers for diagnosis and treatment.
Education
University of Texas at San Antonio 2010 - 2015
Field of study: Cell and Molecular Biology
Degree: Doctorate
Emphasis: Microbiology and Immunology
Dissertation Title: “Fighting Acinetobacter baumannii Resistance and Elucidating Novel Virulence Mechanisms”
University of Kansas Medical Center 2007 - 2009
Field of study: Clinical Laboratory Science
Degree: Bachelor's of Science
Fort Hays State University 2003 - 2007
Field of study: Cellular/Molecular Biology
Degree: Bachelor's of Science
Minor: Chemistry
Pre-Medical Focus
Skills
Laboratory Methods, Molecular Biology, DNA and RNA Sequencing, Data Cleaning and Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Biostatistics, Animal Research, Pre-Clinical Research, Clinical Research, Human-Subject Studies, Microbiology, Immunology, Hematology, Aseptic Technique, Team Building, Collaboration, Public Speaking and Communication, Regulatory, Leadership
Keywords: Animal model, Biostatistics, Clinical Research, Data Analysis , Data Modeling, Data Visualisation, Molecular Biology, SQL, Team LeadershipProfessional interests
Wastewater Monitoring/Surveillance, Microbiome, Sepsis, Sepsis Induced Coagulopathy, Hemorrhage Control, Microbiology, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Immunology
CV
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