Responsibilities include providing scientific and regulatory guidance to major manufacturers of food and beverage ingredients, colors, cosmetics, specialty and biocidal chemicals, consumer products as well as the pharmaceutical industry.

Experience in developing industry-relevant scientific content and engaging with government officials in direct meetings that led to more informed decision-making processes and improved compliance with safety standards. Involved in fruitful discussions with industry experts by traveling with government officials and non-profit trade organizations explaining the importance of the FEMA GRAS program at an international food safety conference.Highlights of accomplishments in this role include:• Played a critical role in safeguarding public health and building trust in the safety of flavorings while highlighting the importance of the FEMA GRAS program.• Ensured the highest standards of scientific rigor and accuracy while handling original literature searches, summarizing and evaluating toxicology studies, and preparing exposure assessments to manage FEMA GRAS applications for industry members.• Developed a member-exclusive resource (Biological Risk Decision Tree) that has aided several members in making informed decisions regarding bacterial pathogen risk in flavoring formulations based on peer-reviewed science.

Played a vital role in the professional growth of a lower-level engineering scientist through regular feedback and constructive evaluations. Addressed potential roadblocks while coordinating resources and timelines for various deliverables to govern a larger instrument project.Highlights of accomplishments in this role include:• Met the highest standards and regulatory requirements while leading all aspects of product development from initial design and prototyping through scale-up production and validation/verification.• Contributed to the development of next-generation electrochemiluminescence (ECL)-based products while helping direct a small team of 20 designing new instruments along with associated consumables and assays.

Two-time winner of the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Graduate Fellowship. Developed a novel etched array substrate for high throughput surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging that enhanced differential resonance and increased bulk/surface sensitivity 3-fold compared to conventional SPR imaging substrates.Highlights of accomplishments in this role include:• Developed a novel method to fabricate ultra-thin, fracture-free nanoglassified gold substrates based on a high-volume low-pressure (HVLP) paint gun technique for sensitive label-free biological measurements while working with a summer undergraduate researcher resulting in his first peer-reviewed publication.• Led a significant step forward in the field of food safety by developing an enzymatic signal enhancement method for SPR for the detection of low concentrations of aqueous Escherichia coli on spinach leaves.• Nine first-author publications.

• Sample preparation (solid-phase and liquid-liquid extractions) of soil samples for pesticide residue analysis by LC-MS in the environmental residue analysis division.