Introduction

Cristiana Bercea, Assistant Product Manager, Azenta Life Sciences

Cristiana Bercea started her career in 2016 as a molecular biologist and worked at the University of Liverpool and University of Reading before joining Azenta Life Sciences in 2023 as an Associate Product Manager for automated sample storage solutions.

Why -80°C

Dean Montano, Senior Product Manager, Azenta Life Sciences

Dean Montano started his career as a Telecomms design engineer for Nokia, and has since worked in product management roles at Braemac Ltd and Promethean, as well as product marketing roles at NXP Semiconductors and Cooper Bussmann (part of Eaton). He joined Azenta Life Sciences in 2017 as a Senior Product Manager with responsibility for automated sample storage solutions.

Spotlight Presentation

Karen Beeri, Scientific Core Facility Research Manager, Vanderbilt University

Karen Beeri received a BSc in Biology and Masters in Oceanography from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She started her career as a research scientist, working in microbiology labs at the University of Michigan, University of Chicago, and the J Craig Venter institute in San Diego, where she became the sequencing core manager. Karen has been a core manager at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center genomics core, VANTAGE, since 2017. She currently oversees biobanking, extraction and Nanostring services for the entire institution. Over the last few years, Karen has led the establishment of central biobanking services for researchers across the institution, utilizing several lab automation solutions including the Azenta Biostore II. (Now known as BioArc Flex.)

Panel Discussion

John Smerdon, Ph.D., Senior Director, Laboratory Research Operations and Capital Projects, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Casey Dagnall, Associate Scientist, Technology Development & Implementation, Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory (CGR), NCI

Supporting the Frederick National Laboratories for Cancer Research (FNLCR), the Cancer Genomics Research (CGR) laboratory aims to investigate the contribution of germline and somatic genetic variation to cancer susceptibility and outcomes in support of the intramural Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics (DCEG) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Casey Dagnall drives the development, optimization, and implementation of complex assays and procedures into a high-throughput research laboratory which supports the multiomic research aims of epidemiologists within DCEG. With over 20 years of experience in biotechnology, she also has extensive experience in laboratory automation, liquid handlers, quality control & assurance, LIMS development, and project management.

Facilitated by Kathi Shea, Vice President & General Manager, Sample Repository Services, Azenta Life Sciences

Kathi Shea is the Vice President and General Manager, for Sample Repository Services at Azenta Life Sciences. She is a former President of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) and an active member of several ISBER committees and working groups. Shea served on the Advisory Working Group that developed the College of American Pathologists Biorepository Accreditation Program and is an active member of the CAP BAP Committee. She has over 20 years of experience leading biorepository programs and advising on the design of biorepositories, quality systems, and optimal methods for collection, preservation and annotation of biospecimen collections.

Advantages of Automation in Regulated Bioanalytical Testing: Key Drivers, Inhibitors, Regulatory Hurdles & Scientific Reasoning

Chris Napolitano, Associate Director, Group Lead Regulated Bioanalytical Sample Management, Merck

For the past 25 years, Chris’s professional focus has been in the field of laboratory automation and informatics, spearheading developments from drug discovery sample management, HTS support, drug lead optimization, diagnostic test development, and now clinical sample management. His extensive experience across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and liquid handling industries has enabled him to lead transformative projects. Recently, Chris has spent the past 2.5 years leading a sample management team at Merck supporting GxP bioanalytical testing for non-clinical and clinical studies. In this role he has transformed the once manual lab space to one with an automated -80°C BioArc, automated liquid handlers, and LN2 tanks that include LIMS integrations. This works has lead to a streamlining of sample receipt, storage, and retrieval workflows that has sped up clinical testing. His dedication to streamlining operations and boosting performance aims to deliver solutions that aim to profoundly impact human health globally.

Low Temperature, Lower Impact: Storage Sustainability

Dean Montano, Senior Product Manager, Azenta Life Sciences

Jarrad Langley, Product Manager, Edwards Vacuum

Service Strategy & Requirements in Regulated Environments

Jeff Wall, Senior Director, Global Services, Azenta Life Sciences

Jeff Wall, has over 25 years of experience in Global Service Operations and Finance. Having previously worked for Thermo Fisher Scientific and Dell/EMC, his focus centered on building global service centers throughout North America, Europe, and China to improve customer satisfaction with increase response times and first-time fix rates. Joining Azenta in 2024, Jeff brings his expertise to implement a service strategy to include Distributors and 3rd Party providers, reducing customer downtime while improving overall profitability. He holds a blackbelt in Six Sigma.

Q&A Session