Flow Cytometry Core

Carolyn O'Connor

Managing Director
Flow Cytometry Core

In her role at the Flow Cytometry Core facility, Carolyn aims to foster a collaborative and educational environment dedicated to supporting Salk scientists in their efforts to realize research goals through the use of analytical and sorting technologies. Carolyn has extensive flow cytometry experience to leverage, from time spent working in both academic and industrial settings. Prior to moving to California, Carolyn worked in London for leading UK cancer research and awareness charity, Cancer Research UK (CRUK), at their London Research Institute’s Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) Laboratory. Here she assisted scientists with a diverse range of sample types and analytical flow techniques including cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis and multi-colour flow assays, offering training and support on experimental design and execution, data analysis, as well as running cell-sorting experiments. Most recently, Carolyn managed the 11 cytometer-equipped Flow Core at local San Diego biotech company, BioLegend Inc., where she directed all aspects of the core’s operations. Following her beliefs that sustainable high productivity requires a safe, and harmonious work environment with reliable instrumentation, she focused on identifying and resolving productivity impacting bottlenecks, whilst implementing SOPS and providing user training and support in current methodologies. It is also with the users in mind that Carolyn designed the company’s new Flow Core facility in Mira Mesa, which opened in January 2012. In addition to her key responsibilities, Carolyn provided technical expertise to Sales and Marketing colleagues, and played a key role in R&D where she participated in novel flow cytometry reagent development and Custom Solutions Team projects.