Since being named an ASCP 40 Under Forty, I earned my MLT credentials with ASCP, and pursued California certifications as an MLT and CGMBS. I went on to complete an MBA and now am in a Clinical Lab Science and Practice DrPH program. In 2020, I was working as a laboratory technologist and research coordinator. Now I have spent the past five years getting better acquainted with Surface Plasmon Resonance, BioFire devices, FDA regulations, and laboratory optimization.

After the award, I was recruited from North Carolina to manage the opening of the first private PCR lab in Alaska, and within four months opened a second in Utah. Between the two, I validated and implemented an LDT that helped us reach a 50,000 samples per day capacity with >99% TAT of less than 24 hours. This experience opened countless doors when I was ready to pursue my next opportunity.

After managing two labs, I moved on to broaden my expertise in SPR and most recently in IVD devices. I entered a doctoral program and am writing my dissertation currently. I have published a children’s book centered around public health concepts with a book deal for another, and I just released a chapter for publication in a textbook on Global Health Security.

Lessons learned

There are so many opportunities to expand your knowledge and experiences in the laboratory field, and the last five years have opened countless doors when I am not afraid to say “Yes!” I regularly consult around the country now and welcome new opportunities to help labs build high quality, well-optimized operations.

I am most professionally proud that I have stayed in the laboratory sciences as a consultant while continuing to expand my professional endeavors in and out of the laboratory. By furthering my education (formal and experiential) I have been able to grow in so many ways!