Brandi Steidley

Experience

• 

  Oklahoma State University

  Jun 2009 - Jul 2010

  Undergraduate Research Assistant

  Aided research investigating novel microbial communities present in a sulfur spring using a mixed Sanger and pyro-sequencing approach. Prepared sulfur spring samples for sequencing. Completed multistep nucleic acid extractions, beginning with a phenol chloroform based process. Further cleaned nucleic acid products by using a secondary kit-based extraction method. Designed primers for initial PCR detection. Cleaned and processed sequencing data, created phylogenetic trees and analyzed organism relatedness. Investigated viability of isolate growth from spring samples. Contributed to publishing findings from work. Show less

• 

  The Ohio State University

  Sept 2010 - Dec 2011

  Graduate Teaching Assistant

  Taught multiple undergraduate laboratory sections including:Biology (for non-science majors)Microbiology for Nursing StudentsGeneral MicrobiologyAssisted in administering exams and aiding students during class time. Created teaching examples and slides for the laboratory lessons. Used creativity to adjust examples and provide multiple perspectives to provide better explanation and facilitate student understanding of lab concepts.

• 

  The Ohio State University

  Mar 2012 - Jul 2014

  Research Associate

  Laboratory manager for research lab investigating Salmonella and Listeria activity within gut microbiomes. Initiated and maintained a new gnotobiotic mouse colony for laboratory research use. Wrote protocols related to colony care, sterility testing and maintenance of isolators. Cared for and bred mice. Tested for colony sterility once per week. Maintained inventory and fiscal records for grant funded laboratory purchases. Oversaw training and work of undergraduate lab assistants. Contributed to laboratory research projects, including animal culling and dissection, PCR, and writing papers for publication. Show less

• 

  Richter International, Inc.

  Jul 2014 - Jul 2016

  Microbiologist

  Contributed to all aspects of receiving, processing, and analyzing samples for a private food safety laboratory with ISO 17025 certification. Performed testing on samples ranging from raw ingredients to finished products in a wide array of consumer and pet products, including but not limited to:Dairy products and cheesesRaw ingredients like chicken fat, flours, and facility water sourcesFruitsFrozen food productsEnvironmental swabsMaintained reference cultures for control testing of media and comparison controls for assays. Performed a wide array of testing including traditional culture, colony counting, biochemical media tests, serotype testing, ELISA, and PCR. Independently analyzed results and created client result reports. Show less

• 

  Astrix Technology Group

  Mar 2017 - Feb 2018

  Molecular Biologist

  Conducted laboratory work for the US federal government under a Department of Homeland Security contractor. Conducted daily PCR testing of air filter samples for bioterrorism agents and maintained meticulous chain of custody records. Participated in internal and organizational audits.Conducted QC testing on new reagent lots. Created a digital log to replace a daily paper QA/QC record. Tracked control performance and looked for trends over time.

• 

  Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

  Feb 2018 - May 2024

  Manage a total staff of 16 within four unique testing units with separate specialties in publichealth response: Serology, Molecular, Clinical Microbiology, and Environmental Microbiology.● Meet regularly with all staff for coaching and career development. Track performance for allemployees and document progress (positive and negative) in reaching individual performancegoals.● Prepare for and support external and internal audits for all units, each with different regulatoryrequirements, including CLIA, ISO 17025, FDA, and EPA.● Successfully contributed to applications for three large federally funded grants to support publichealth work. ● Act as hiring manager for the program and write position descriptions, job postings, and SMEevaluations of candidates. Manage interview schedule and initiate all onboarding processes.● Participate in quarterly management reviews. Address high level leadership concerns as well asplan for programmatic changes related to quality, efficiency, employee retention, and customersatisfaction.● Build and support cross-training plans for staff to ensure coverage in all units.● Address non-conformances and QA/QC issues within all units. Work with unit leads to come upwith innovative and efficient solutions to meeting regulatory requirements.● Mediate in interpersonal conflict. Guide staff in handling difficult situations with colleagues andcoach staff in having better interactions with each other.● Certified in human-centered leadership skills. Use honesty and transparency as a guide forengaging with staff and to build trust on teams. Create strategies to prevent burnout in stressfultimes. Motivate staff through examples of kindness, gratitude, and a sense of purpose. Show less Oversee both the molecular and serological testing units at the CO State Public Health Laboratory. Manage a team of laboratory scientists and technicians. Actively engage in project collaboration, performance evaluations, coaching, and conflict resolution. Monitor testing turn around times and find efficiency solutions where needed. Troubleshoot technical challenges in the lab and advise technicians on next steps. Liaise with state epidemiologists to plan outbreak testing timelines, discuss submission problems, and share results. Present stakeholders with vital laboratory submission and testing information. Address any client concerns or complaints. Touch base with vendors and obtain goods and services via contract. Order reagents and supplies for laboratory function. Evaluate proficiency testing and staff competencies. Review all QA/QC records for the units and monitor trends in quality failures. Show less Conducted serological and immunology based clinical diagnostic testing for a wide variety of infectious diseases in a CLIA certified laboratory. Excelled at troubleshooting laboratory developed manual ELISA assays and performed titrations on new ELISA reagents to determine appropriate dilutions. Worked with multiple automated platforms including Hologic Panther, Abbott Architect, BioRad Evoli, Dynex, Gold Standard AIX1000, Roche MagnaPure (compacts, LC, and 24), Thermo scientific Kingfisher, and Qiagen EZ1. Conducted animal necropsy and testing in BSL-3 for rabies detection via DFA. Wrote standard operating procedures for new assays and managed quality records for audits. Pivoted to support SARS-CoV 2 response in February of 2020 - trained new technicians, verified new PCR assays, and helped to establish and lead a second shift at the lab. Show less

  • Microbiology Program Manager

    Jan 2024 - May 2024

  • Infectious Disease Supervisor

    Aug 2022 - Jan 2024

  • Serology Laboratory Work Lead - Scientist III

    Oct 2021 - Aug 2022

  • Molecular Laboratory Scientist I

    Jul 2020 - Oct 2021

  • Laboratory Technologist II

    Feb 2018 - Jul 2020
• 

  Cobio Diagnostics, Inc.

  Jul 2024 - now

  Laboratory Manager / Senior Scientist