Profile
Laboratory Manager with 11 years of experience overseeing molecular biology and biochemistry research labs in academic and contract research settings. Specialize in BSL-2 compliance, instrument qualification, and cross-functional team development. Reduced reagent waste costs by 31% and maintained zero critical audit findings across four consecutive CAP inspections.
Work Experience
Laboratory ManagerMar 2019 - Present
Vantara Biosciences, Durham, NC
- Directed daily operations of a 6,200 sq ft molecular diagnostics lab staffed by 14 scientists and technicians, sustaining 99.4% instrument uptime across 23 analytical platforms.
- Redesigned reagent inventory workflow using a barcode-based LIMS integration, cutting annual reagent waste by $87,000 and reducing stockout incidents from 18 to 2 per year.
- Led CAP and CLIA re-accreditation efforts for three consecutive cycles, achieving zero deficiencies and reducing pre-inspection preparation time by 40% through a standing audit-readiness program.
Senior Research Technician / Lab CoordinatorJun 2015 - Feb 2019
Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Coordinated scheduling and resource allocation for four concurrent NIH-funded research projects totaling $4.2M, ensuring on-time milestone delivery for 91% of quarterly reports.
- Trained and onboarded 22 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in PCR, Western blot, flow cytometry, and aseptic cell culture technique over four years.
- Implemented a preventive maintenance calendar for 31 shared instruments, reducing unplanned downtime by 27% and extending average equipment service intervals by 4 months.
Research Technician IIAug 2013 - May 2015
Quintiles Bioanalytical Services, Morrisville, NC
- Executed GLP-compliant bioanalytical assays (ELISA, LC-MS/MS) in support of Phase I–III clinical trials for 9 pharmaceutical sponsors, processing up to 400 samples per day.
- Maintained sample chain-of-custody documentation with 100% accuracy across 14 studies audited by FDA inspectors during a routine facility inspection.
- Optimized a high-throughput ELISA protocol that reduced assay run time by 22% and increased plate-to-plate reproducibility (%CV) from 11.4% to 6.8%.
Education
M.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology2011 - 2013
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Thesis: Kinetic characterization of recombinant lipase variants for industrial applications
B.S. Biology, Chemistry Minor2007 - 2011
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Graduated with Honors; Dean's List 6 semesters