Shelly Thao
St Paul,MN
Summary
Skilled Laboratory Technician with background in managing laboratory operations, ensuring compliance with safety protocols and regulations. Strengths include coordinating research needs, maintaining equipment, implementing quality control procedures, and troubleshooting technical issues. Demonstrated ability to streamline processes for increased efficiency while fostering a collaborative environment among lab personnel. Made significant impact by enhancing lab productivity and consistently meeting project deadlines.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Histology Laboratory Coordinator
Miromatrix Medical, Inc
01.2025 - Current
- Coordinate histology orders and scans between departments
- Order histology slides for departments
- Inventory archived slides
- Immunohistochemistry staining
- Assist in cell culture deliveries
- Sample preparation for qPCR.
- Flow cytometry
- Provided technical support to other staff members regarding laboratory equipment operation and calibration processes.
- Assisted in the development of new experiments, techniques, and procedures within the laboratory.
- Collaborated with scientists to design experiments that would yield valid data sets.
- Prepared, stained, cover-slipped, and catalogued histology and immunohistochemistry slides
- Utilized various techniques such as microscopy, flow cytometry, ELISA, culture media preparation for identification of microorganisms from clinical specimens to R&D samples
Microbiologist Manager
Legend Technical Services
07.2024 - 01.2025
- Create training manuals for technician
- Setting up PCR method
- Creating SOPs and Guidance Documents for PCR
- Creating Resource Manuals for technician and Manager roles
- PCR validation for bacterial and fungal species for cannabis matrices
- Petrifilm validation
- Validating all PCR instruments
- Ordering supplies for department
- Entering reagents into LIMS
- Creating dilutions for gDNA
- Analyzing PCR data
- Organizing PCR workspace and lab supply cabinet
- Created reports summarizing findings from experiments conducted in the lab.
- Carried out quality control checks on materials used in the laboratory setting according to established standards.
- Performed experiments to identify and quantify microorganisms in samples using PCR-based assays.
- Interpreted test results accurately ensuring that all data is reported properly.
Histotechnician
University of Minnesota - Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory
09.2023 - 07.2024
- Embedding processed tissues into blocks
- Microtomy of tissue blocks into slides
- Performing manual and automatic special stains per requests
- Quality control of slides before distribution
- Troubleshooting instrumentation: coverslipper, autostainers
- Working in BSL-2 safety lab
- Organization of archived blocks 10+ years old
- SOP corrections
- Maintained laboratory equipment, reagents and supplies to ensure proper functioning.
- Performed routine histology tasks such as embedding, sectioning and staining of tissue specimens.
- Identified problems with specimen processing procedures or test results, and took appropriate corrective actions.
Quality Control Chemist
Creative Laboratories Inc.
06.2023 - 09.2023
- Quality control on products: pH, viscosity, solids, and specific gravity
- Created training manual for QC Chemist role
- Reorganized QC logs and fragrances/lab spaces
- Troubleshooting instruments
- Weekly calibration for instruments and weekly maintenance
- Microbiology testing for bacterial and fungal growth on product lines
Formulations Technician
Kelly Scientific - Beckman Coulter
11.2022 - 03.2023
- Daily maintenance on ACCESS-2 instruments
- Daily maintenance on DxI instruments
- Creating buffers for calibrators in large volumes
- Update training manual
- Train colleagues on instrument maintenance and troubleshooting
Medical Laboratory Technician
Cleveland Clinic Foundation - Marymount Hospital
04.2022 - 07.2022
- Daily maintenance on instruments
- Quality control on instruments
- Kit testing for patients
- Troubleshoot instrumentation errors
- Accessioning samples into system
- Reporting results to doctors from automated testing and manual microscopic testing
- Conducted microscopic examinations of body fluids such as urine or blood samples.
- Prepared reagents, media, stains, solutions, and other materials used in testing procedures.
- Reported any suspected problems with test performance directly to supervisor or clinical staff members.
- Analyzed test results for accuracy and prepared reports for physicians.
- Interpreted data from various sources including patient history and lab results
Forensic Technician I
State of Alaska - State Crime Detection Laboratory
04.2021 - 02.2022
- Evidence: Accessioning of evidence items, and fixing evidence seals
- Correcting chain of custodies
- Transfer of items to departments
- LIMS data entry
- Biology: Instrument maintenance (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually)
- CODIS cards data base entries
- PCR instrument verification
Undergraduate Researcher
University of Alaska Fairbanks
12.2017 - 05.2020
- Performed cell and molecular assays to support research studies
- DNA extraction, purification, and synthesis
- Assist in edits for manuscript for publications
- Data analysis and troubleshooting instruments
- Used Prism GraphPad to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of graphs
- Prepared fact sheets, tables, and graphs to summarize research results
- Encouraged good habits and modeled practical problem-solving
- Developed standard operating procedures and document workflows
- Trained students on molecular techniques, assays, and project concepts
- Microbiology growth for colony lines, colony picking, aseptic techniques
Volunteer Student Researcher
University of Alaska Fairbanks
08.2018 - 01.2020
- Created a protocol for NMR data analysis of samples
- Analyzed rat blood plasma via 600 MHz NMR
- Identified metabolomic peaks in NMR spectra
- Compiled metabolomics NMR data
- GC-MS, HPLC, and ICP-MS analysis on samples
Lab Manager Assistant
Mat-Su College
10.2014 - 05.2016
- Assisted Lab Manager with setting up chemistry and biology labs
- Put together an online inventory of chemicals and supplies
- Disposed of microbiological wastes and biohazardous wastes
Education
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
University of Alaska Fairbanks
05.2020
Skills
- Histology techniques
- Sample preparation
- Immunohistochemistry staining
- PCR method development
- Flow cytometry
- Quality control procedures
- Team collaboration
- Laboratory safety protocols
- Instrumentation troubleshooting
- Project management
- Effective communication
- Research coordination
- PCR techniques
- Data interpretation
- Scientific writing
- Laboratory management
- Sample analysis
- Laboratory safety
- Assay development
- DNA extraction
Presentations
- Rabies viral glycoprotein inhibition of neuronal nicotinic subtypes, Thao, S., Spain, C., Hueffer, K., Weltzin, M., 2020-03-01, Oral Presentation, University of Alaska Fairbanks' Chemistry Seminar
- Rabies viral glycoprotein inhibition of neuronal nicotinic subtypes, Thao, S., Spain, C., Hueffer, K., Weltzin, M., 2019-10-01, Poster, Society for Neuroscience Conference, Chicago, IL
- Rabies virus glycoprotein derived peptide interaction with various nAChRs, Thao, S., Spain, C., Hueffer, K., Weltzin, M., 2019-09-01, Poster, Biomedical Learning and Student Training Research Mixer, Fairbanks, AK
- The study of a derived dog rabies virus glycoprotein peptide's interactions with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, Thao, S., Spain, C., Hueffer, K., Weltzin, M., 2019-09-01, Poster, Alaska IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Retreat, Talkeetna, AK
- Rabies virus glycoprotein derived peptide interaction with various nAChRs, Thao, S., Spain, C., Hueffer, K., Weltzin, M., 2019-05-01, Poster, One Health Research Conference of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK
- Rabies virus glycoprotein derived peptide interaction with various nAChRs, Thao, S., Spain, C., Hueffer, K., Weltzin, M., 2019-04-01, Poster, University of Alaska Fairbanks' Research Day, Fairbanks, AK
Achievements Awards
- American Institute of Chemistry Award in Biochemistry
- Biomedical Learning and Student Training Scientist of the Month
- Biomedical Learning and Student Training Travel Award
- Biomedical Learning and Student Training Scholar
- IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence [INBRE NIH] Undergraduate Research Assistantship
- Biomedical Learning and Student Training Undergraduate Research Experience
Publications
Brittany, Thao S, Weber L, et al., The human alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is a host target for the rabies virus glycoprotein., Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2024, 14, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2024.1394713
Timeline
Histology Laboratory Coordinator
Miromatrix Medical, Inc
01.2025 - Current
Microbiologist Manager
Legend Technical Services
07.2024 - 01.2025
Histotechnician
University of Minnesota - Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory
09.2023 - 07.2024
Quality Control Chemist
Creative Laboratories Inc.
06.2023 - 09.2023
Formulations Technician
Kelly Scientific - Beckman Coulter
11.2022 - 03.2023
Medical Laboratory Technician
Cleveland Clinic Foundation - Marymount Hospital
04.2022 - 07.2022
Forensic Technician I
State of Alaska - State Crime Detection Laboratory
04.2021 - 02.2022
Volunteer Student Researcher
University of Alaska Fairbanks
08.2018 - 01.2020
Undergraduate Researcher
University of Alaska Fairbanks
12.2017 - 05.2020
Lab Manager Assistant
Mat-Su College
10.2014 - 05.2016
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
University of Alaska Fairbanks
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