Melinda E. Clark Email & Phone Number

Richmond, Virginia

Responsible for determining and validating new technologies for the Microbial Reference Group and serving as the subject matter expert for new methods for staff, management, and our clients.Duties include:• Validate new technologies for identifying and characterizing microorganisms, specifically molecular technologies including the Cepheid GeneXpert and 16S sequencing.• Maintain organized records of data collected during validation studies. • Write SOPs, validation proposals, and validation packages.• Develop quality control and quality assurance measures for new technologies.• Develop waste management and safety protocols for new technologies in compliance with institutional policies.• Develop LIMS protocols in order to track and report results from new technologies.• Adhere to institutional protocols while working within BSL-2 and BSL-3 facilities.• Write and submit grants to pertinent funding agencies for equipment, supplies, or to partake in public health studies. • Train senior scientists and scientists in newly validated technologies.• Monitor staff for adherence to safety protocols and SOPs.• Act as a liaison between the Microbial Reference Group and health departments within the Commonwealth.• Keep up to date on new technologies that can be implemented in the public health realm.

Charlottesville, Virginia Area

Teaching an introductory to Microbiology laboratory and mentoring students. Duties include:• Responsible for teaching lab material• Monitor class during experimental research, ensuring safety and teaching proper techniques• Design semester syllabus.• Develop lectures covering lab material.• Write exams and quizzes.• Grade all assignments, reports, quizzes, and exams.• Manage and assign grades.• Communicate with students about their own progress and the progress of the course.

Received a biological defense research fellowship from NIH to work as a member of the InfectiousDisease division and contribute to the understanding of potential biological threats. Duties include:• Lead research projects toward the understanding of the molecular mechanisms in which the biological threat agent Francisella tularensis enters, replicates, and survives in the host cell.• Analyze, organize, and record information for publication, presentation, and grant writing purposes.• Communicate findings to diverse audiences through publications and oral presentations.• Provide technical management for students and technicians.• Manage research and fellowship commitments in order meet deadlines.• Learn and apply proper safety protocols for conducting research within a Biosafety Level 3 lab.• Act as a scientific expert in microbial physiology within the department.• Monitor foreign and domestic advances in infectious diseases and research on BSL-3 organisms.

Member of a multi-disciplinary research group that conducts cutting edge biofuels research. Projects involve the investigation of microbes, microbial genomes, and enzymes essential to lignocellulosic biofuel production. Duties include:• Leading a focused research effort for multiple projects involving bioprospecting for novel microbial cellulose degraders, elucidating mechanisms of alcohol tolerance, and production of ethanol from a thermophilic organism.• Managing all facets of personal research to prioritize and validate data that ultimately guides long-term project goals and meets project deadlines for both lead PIs and the funding agency. • Leading discussions to evaluate current findings and recommend subsequent action.• Communicating findings through written technical reports, scientific manuscripts, and weekly oral presentations.• Maintaining past- and current knowledge in microbiology and biotechnology through literature, seminars, and conferences.• Presenting work at program reviews, international meetings, and institutional seminars.• Providing technical and administrative management for multiple students and research technicians. • Developing and maintaining collaborations with other research teams.

Continued my doctoral research on understanding microbial physiology as a member of the multi-disciplinary group conducting research on biofilms. Duties included: • Completing research projects committed to the understanding of in situ microbial physiology and bioremediation.• Presenting research findings to program managers during program reviews.• Developing connections with researchers of different disciplines.• Developing managerial skills by mentoring fellow graduate students.• Maintaining knowledge of advances pertaining to my field of study.

Contributed to the development of a focused research program with the supervision of my Ph.D. advisor. Projects involved the analysis of physiological responses including biofilm formation of a microorganism under conditions relevant to subsurface bioremediation using current scientific technologies. Duties and accomplishments included: • Completing my dissertation titled Physiological Analysis of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough Under Conditions Relevant to the Subsurface Environment: Carbon and Energy Limitation and Biofilm Formation.• Preparing written reports in the form of peer-reviewed publications and oral and poster presentations.• Presenting research findings to program managers during program reviews.• Developing research projects and receiving grants with undergraduate students.• Teaching laboratory and lecture courses.• Taking relevant classes including pathogenic microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, microbial genetics, microbial physiology and virology.• Participating in discussion groups covering various microbiological aspects and current research findings. • Receiving awards for outstanding scientific research, teaching ability, and travel grants.

Ph.D, Microbiology

B.S, Biology & Chemistry