Azenta Life Sciences | -80°C Virtual User Group Meeting

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.)

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

John Smerdon joined the VP&S Office for Research in January 2019 to guide institutional and external teams toward the completion of specialized scientiﬁc initiatives that promote the growth of the VP&S research mission. He has been an engaged member of the Columbia and broader New York City communities, cultivating several multidisciplinary collaborative scientific projects throughout his graduate student career, holding an observer’s seat on the University Senate Commission on Diversity, and mentoring multiple student trainees. He co-founded and directed the Science Matters Research Internship, a successful high school outreach program now in its 6th year, that has matched over 25 under-privileged high school students with mentors in Columbia laboratories. As a graduate student and NIH/NINDS Kirschstein-NRSA predoctoral fellow (F31), he specialized in electrophysiological analyses aimed to elucidate how electrical tuning in motor neurons lead to their unique action potential firing properties and in turn, make them selectively vulnerable to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Dr. Smerdon holds a PhD in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics from Columbia University, and a BS in Neuroscience and a BS in Biochemistry/Biophysics from Washington State University. Prior to his undergraduate education, he also attained World Class Technician status during his decade of work for General Motors.

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. Kathi 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.

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.

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 Third Party providers, reducing customer downtime while improving overall profitability. He holds a blackbelt in Six Sigma.

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