Justin Mak Email & Phone Number

Scientist passionate about advancing human health through chromatography and mass spectrometry, biomarker discovery, and bioinformatics. Accomplished record in strategizing, leading, and executing the necessary hands-on work to meet project goals, simultaneously wearing the hats of CTO, director, supervisor, and CLS to provide foundational architecture and knowledge in a clinical lab startup like environment.Independently conceptualized and built a three-pronged metabolomics platform to profile most of the human metabolome at population scale. This clinically relevant platform separated medically critical isomers spanning glycans, organic acids, amino acids, acylcarnitines, and lipids without derivatization and without ion-pairing. Unlike traditional two-pronged platforms, most of which do not separate the most elementary isomers and interferences required for clinical testing, my strategy covered central carbon metabolism at reference-level analytical performance and added comprehensive investigation of free glycans accumulating in patients with inborn errors of metabolism--representing the first to recognize and establish comprehensive glycomic profling as a critical piece of clinical metabolic testing. Together, these analytical inventions, discoveries, and achievements, and resulting benefit to patient care, led to successful external, internal, and NIH funding. Also built and led clinical mass spectrometry bioanalysis labs, and developed and launched new clinical-grade small molecule and metabolomics tests in the regulated diagnostics space as a California Licensed Clinical Lab Scientist (ASCP). By leveraging the principles of chromatography to reduce sample prep, my strategy and advancements improved overall testing efficiency by 90%+, as measured by cost per test, turnaround time, and happiness of CLS performing the tests. Several test services were the only ones offered in North America--with unprecedented turnaround times as fast as 30 mins for those in the emergency room.Skilled in LC-MS instrumentation from all vendors, assay development, troubleshooting, operations, and regulatory (CAP/CLIA). Educated numerous professors on a better approach and correct technical concepts for clinical LC-MS.Strong proponent of building and supporting teams through a culture of positive reinforcement, empathetic and clear communication, clear and appropriate expectations, honesty, transparency, ethics, and psychological safety. #adamgrantProficient in molecular methods and flow cytometry.California licensed CLS; CAP certified clinical lab inspector

Listed skills include Isolation, Sop Authoring, Quality Control, Clinical Trials, and 5 others.