Frank Aquino
San Diego,CA
Summary
Strengths include experienced and well proven leader with excellent written/verbal communication skills, analyzing, organizing and leading successful complex projects, comprehensive management knowledge in a variety of laboratory areas, innovative and practical result driven to achieve organizational success.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Clinical Laboratory Senior Supervisor
UCSD Center For Advanced Laboratory Medicine(CALM)
09.2014 - Current
- CLINICAL LAB SENIOR SUPERVISOR – CYTOGENETICS. September 2014 To 2016
- CLINICAL LAB SENIOR SUPERVISOR – CLINICAL GENOMICS. September 2014 To Present
- · Oversees, directs, and prioritizes daily activities of the laboratory and the assigned staff.
- · Improves lab efficiency and streamlines the operational processes to increase productivity. Leads the validation and implementation of new laboratory processes when necessary.
- · Lead efforts to design, optimize and validate PCR-based custom targeted enrichment NGS assays among other Genomics Platforms.
- · Operates and monitor operation of Illumina Next-Gen sequencing instruments as well as automated liquid handlers and other key lab instrumentation.
- · Supports to set and monitor key performance indicators to proactively ensure excellence of the operations, especially in the areas of NGS library preparation, DNA Sequencing quality, turnaround time and operational costs.
- · Responsible for establishing cancer diagnostics laboratory operations within CALM UCSD.
- · Managed all aspects of lab operations and establishing new quality systems.
- · Managed and mentor staff, direct laboratory personnel for implementation of cancer diagnostic testing.
Clinical Laboratory Operations Director
DermTech International INC.
09.2012 - 09.2014
- · Responsible for establishing cancer diagnostics laboratory operations in United States.
- · Managed all aspects of start-up company lab, including: Design and build of laboratory space from ground up, CLIA certification and CA state laboratory licensure, out-of-state laboratory licensures, accreditations and establishing new quality systems.
- · Managed and mentor staff, direct laboratory personnel in applying patented RNA retrieval platform and Open array assay necessary for implementation of cancer diagnostic testing.
Senior Manager-Clinical Operations
Sequenom INC.
05.2010 - 08.2012
- · Manage a team of 25 to 60 employees including Supervisors, Group Leads, Senior CLS, CLS, Lab Assistants and Accessioners.
- · 50% of work was performed on bench and 50% in management.
- · Performed complex clinical tests including validation of NGS assay and instrumentation
- · Helped to build Molecular Laboratory from ground up.
- · Perform Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Real-time PCR.
- · Hands on with techniques such as Next Generation Sequencing and Genotyping based on Illumina platforms.
- · Evaluate results, perform analysis and data reporting.
- · Work within a CLIA environment and heavily involved with CAP/New York Department of Health Inspections.
Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Clarient Inc.
04.2007 - 12.2009
- MOLECULAR AND CYTOGENETICS LABORATORIES:
- ·Supervised and monitored laboratory testing performance of molecular technicians.
- · Performed nucleic acid extraction, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Real-time PCR.
- · Performed FISH (Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridization) processing, other Cytogenetics tests, analysis and report.
- · Ability to operate Fluorescent microscope, Centrifuges, Thermal cycler and other equipment.
- · Obtained and maintained standards and reference materials for ongoing testing in the laboratory.
Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute.
05.2005 - 04.2007
- · Independently performed moderate and complex clinical tests.
- · Performed nucleic acid extraction, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Real-time PCR.
- · Used techniques such as Branched DNA and TMA (Transcription-mediated amplification) among other molecular microbiology tests.
- · Evaluated results, performed analysis and data reporting.
- · Supervised and monitored laboratory testing performance of technicians.
Supervisor, Specimen Processing Department
Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute
03.2002 - 04.2005
- Problem resolution related to night operations at different work location sites.
- Directed appropriate staff to resolve night operation issues.
- · Maintained adequate staffing, scheduled workflow, developed staff and provided technical oversight.
- · Supported and implemented goals for department, compliance and quality assurance.
- · Planned, organized, and directed the work within the section in order to effectively maximize employees, equipment, and material utilization.
Assistant Supervisor/ Lead Technologist
LabCorp
08.1998 - 02.2002
- · Supervised staff in the preparation of samples for shipments to outside labs in a proper and timely manner in the Reference Department.
- · Duties also included filing reports and problem resolution dealing with staffing and day to day operational issues.
Medical Technologist
American Medical Laboratories,
01.1997 - 01.1998
- · Performed testing of clinical samples in Chemistry and Special Chemistry department using different instrument equipment and manual methods.
- · Duties required to be accurate and attentive to clinical techniques in a fast pace environment.
Research Technologist
Navy Research Lab (USUHS).
01.1996 - 01.1997
- · Performed tissue culture, ELISA, radiation surveys, small animal experimentation.
- · Usage of biomedical equipment as PCR and gel electrophoresis.
- · Supported Senior Staff in research finding publications to scientific journals.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Biology
George Mason University
Fairfax, VASkills
- Experienced leader in Laboratory Management for over 25 years
- Experienced in Laboratory design, set up and start up from the ground up dealing with local, state and federal regulations
- Budget Management Leader in handling day to day operations and revenues in complex laboratory testing to reflect organizational financial objectives within fiscal year budgets Revenue forecasting, cost analysis and lab financials oversight
- Technical proficiency in Laboratory techniques: RNA/DNA Isolation and Extraction, PCR, Branched DNA (bDNA), qPCR, RT-PCR, Real time PCR, nested PCR, Restriction Enzyme Digestion, Gel Electrophoresis, Fragment Analysis, Southern Blot, DNA Sequencing via ABI and Next Generation Sequencing, Open Array platforms, Tissue culturing, Bacterial staining, Laboratory mathematics, Nucleic Acid Isolation/Extraction Methods (Manual and Automated)Specimen Processing/Handling, Quality Control, Reagent preparation, Primer/probe design
- Technical instrument experience: Agilent Bioanalyzer, Qubit, Nano-Drop, Fragment Analyzer, Caliper, ViiA7, QuantStudio Flex, Spectrophotometer, MALDITOFF, Centrifuges, Thermal Cycler Proficiency, among others
- Computer skills: Microsoft Office Suite, Internet Explorer, Laboratory Interfaces, Laboratory Platform Software (Qiagen, Taqman, ABI, Roche, and Illumina) SOFT, ORCHARD, STARLIMS, SunQuest, etc
- Communications Skills: Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal) Author of different Operation Procedure Manuals, SOPs Assay validation, verification protocols and reports Complex Molecular Assay Design, Development and Validation
- CAP Inspector and Quality Control/Quality Assurance for the Molecular Laboratory CA/CAP/CLIA/NY State inspections
Assays
- NGS Next Generation Sequencing. Very familiar with HiSeq 2500, 2000 and Genome Analyzer. Used other NGS platforms such as PGM and MiSeq. Solid Tumor NGS, Hematological Malignancy and Cardioarrythmia NGS panels. NGS panels validations in other workflows such as Illumina NextSeq and ThermoFisher Genexus.
- Oncology: ALL, BCR/ABL Qualitative (CML and ALL), BCR/ABL Quantitative, AML, T-cell Receptor Gamma and B-cell Gene Clonality, JAK2, KRAS/BRAF/NRAS, Melanoma testing using Lifetech’s Open Array platform.
- Infectious Disease: Branched DNA, TMA, HIV genotype, HCV/HVB qualitative and quantitative genotyping.
- Genetics: T21 determination using Next Gen HiSeq, Factor V Leiden, Factor II, Hemochromatosis, Cystic Fibrosis (CFTR), DNA Genotyping, ABI Sequencing and Southern Blotting,
- Cyogenetics/Cytogenomics FISH: HER-2/neu Paraffin Block, Prader-Willi (PWS) and Angelman (AS), Mitochondrial DNA Panel II(Deletions), 5q,7q,11q,13q and 17q deletions, BCL2, BCR/ABL, CML, EGFR via FISH, IGH, PML/RARA, RARA Rearrangement, UroVysion, X,Y Chromosome Analysis, etc
- Chemistry: Special Chemistry tests such as Lipid panel, Porphyrins, Fecal fat, G6PDH, Direct Bilirubin Homocysteine, Basic Metabolic Profile panels and other Cardiac panels.
Timeline
Clinical Laboratory Senior Supervisor
UCSD Center For Advanced Laboratory Medicine(CALM)
09.2014 - Current
Clinical Laboratory Operations Director
DermTech International INC.
09.2012 - 09.2014
Senior Manager-Clinical Operations
Sequenom INC.
05.2010 - 08.2012
Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Clarient Inc.
04.2007 - 12.2009
Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute.
05.2005 - 04.2007
Supervisor, Specimen Processing Department
Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute
03.2002 - 04.2005
Assistant Supervisor/ Lead Technologist
LabCorp
08.1998 - 02.2002
Medical Technologist
American Medical Laboratories,
01.1997 - 01.1998
Research Technologist
Navy Research Lab (USUHS).
01.1996 - 01.1997
Bachelor of Science - Biology
George Mason University
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