GTAC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Project Development & Management Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Project Development & Management Team
Job Titles:
- Director of Research Operations
Since joining Washington University in 2002, I have had the honor of working with many many phenomenal researchers. These experiences have allowed me to develop understanding and expertise in applying genomic tools to the needs and goals of the research. My experience includes more than a decade in high-throughput PCR and next generation sequencing and more than two decades in microarray. I have more than 10 years of clinical laboratory experience as well, acting as a supervisor for our facility in a CAP/CLIA certified setting. Prior to my tenure at Washington University, I worked in a microarray services laboratory at Incyte Genomics.
Job Titles:
- Director of Computational Biology / Associate Professor of Genetics
As an Associate Research Professor in Genetics and the Director of Computational Biology for GTAC@MGI with well over a decade of experience in comparative genomics and bioinformatics. Paul came to Saint Louis in 1999 for postdoctoral training, then spent two years directing a bioinformatics group at the McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University. Dr. Cliften returned to Washington University in 2010 to help establish the GTAC sequencing facility.
Job Titles:
- Director of Genome Technology Access Center @MGI / Professor of Genetics / Professor of Pathology and Immunology
As the current director of the Genome Technology Access Center (GTAC), I bring over 25 years of experience in medical research, with 20 years of experience in the development and use of high throughput genomic technologies (microarrays, next generation sequencing, and high-throughput PCR). In addition to detailed technical knowledge, I also bring considerable understanding of how to apply these genomic tools to the fields of drug discovery, clinical research and clinical practice. In my years within the pharmaceutical industry and academia, I, and the groups I led, have numerous successes including discovery of novel drug targets, identification of drug mode of action, biomarkers for patient stratification, elucidating the translatability of pre-clinical models, and ascertaining the causes for drug failures.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research Collaborations / Assistant Professor of Genetics
Job Titles:
- Director of Clinical Operations
Shelly O'Laughlin attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), where she received a BS degree. She began her career at GTAC@MGI during the Human Genome Project and worked part-time loading ABI sequencers while finishing her degree. Upon graduation, she began working at GTAC@MGI full-time. During this time, she had the privilege of managing several different groups and working with a variety of researchers on many exciting projects. In 2013, Shelly started the CLIA Licensed Environment (CLE) laboratory. The laboratory successfully completed the first CAP inspection in 2015. In the beginning, there was one targeted assay which consisted of 10-20 samples per month. The laboratory successfully completed the first CAP inspection in 2015. Throughout her time in the clinical lab, she has helped to implement 6 additional assays and increased sample volume to 250-300 samples per month. For a short time, she was the Project Manager of the WUSM saliva COVID testing in 2020. Shelly enjoys working closely with the CLE Medical Director, the GTAC@MGI Research Groups, and the Department of Pathology and Immunology.