About me
Medical Laboratory Scientist
I hold A Medical Laboratory Scientist/Technologist State of Florda License and maintain my ASCP credentials. I obtained my Bachlors of Science at Santa Fe College in Clinical Laboratory sciences in 2018.
HeaTHER A Blackwell MSc, MLS (ASCP) cm
Clinical Research Scientist
Working At LifeSouth I performed specialized lab testing for cellular therapies and blood components. I Collaborated with researchers at the University of Florida to develop a novel magnetic System for isolating hematopoietic stem cells.
Research Projects
Leveraging Innovative Engineering Techniques to Improve the Outcomes for Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapies (TCT).
ISOLATING HSCs
novel modalities for isolating hematopoietic stem cells
using a HIgh ThroughPut magnetic system.
3D Bioprinting
Cell Encapsulation within a printed biomaterial
How I BecaMe my Research
From the Clinic to the Bedside
EXPANDING HSCs
Clinical expansion of hematopoietic stem cells for the treatment of hematological malignancies
3D BioPrinting Teaching Tool For SF Perry center
Bioprinting Project at Perry Center for Emerging Technologies
research lead at Santa Fe College’s Perry Center for Emerging Technologies developing a TEaching project involving the construction, programming and maintenance of a three-dimensional biological printer for future students to utilize in a hands-on Tissue Engineering Course.
BMES 2017
Presenting Novel Cell Encapsulation and Printing Research at Biomedical Engineering National conference
How I became my research...
from clinic cellular lab to rare leukemia diagnosis to stem cell transplant and back to cellular therapy research.
While working at LifeSouth Blood Bank as a Medical Technologist in the Cellular Therapies lab, I got diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, Mixed lineage T/B cell. I need a stem cell transplant to survive. On November 22, 2019 I received my lifesaving transplant. I returned back to research soon after returning home. In the Spring of 2022. I graduated with my Master’s of Science in Biomedical of Engineering from the University of Florida and have been working towards my PhD (expect Spring 2025).
High Throughput Magnetic Seperation of hematopoietic stem cells
Objective
developed a High throughput Magnetic System for isolating hematopoietic stem cells in a fast, efficient manner. This novel method improves over existing technologies by reducing processing times while maintaining capture capability.
Impact
Motivation
An increase in CD34+ cells collected for transplantation can:
- decrease the time to engraftment
- Reduces Infection
- Reduces Chance of Relapse
- Increases Overall Survival Rate
Ex Vivo Expansion of hematopoietic stem cells
Ex Vivo Expansive Culture
Using Selective growth factors and Novel Biologics* to expand LT-HSCs
Long-term Durability assay
Test Engraftment efficiency by transplanting into NSG Models
Small-Scale Clinical
Scale out testing into Single Center Clinical Trials
*The data is coming to a conference near you soon :)
Mentorship
When one person mentors two lives are changed
Outreach
Part of my surviorship goals is being an advocate for Leukemia and rare cancer patients
be a role model for my community by inspiring young Women engineers and scientist.
And promote a welcoming, inclusive and diverse fellowship amoung biomedical engineers
Click on the following links to learn more about each organization.
TCT Full Circle
Medical Technologist in Lifesouth TCT laboratory
Overcame a Rare Leukemia Receving a HSCT
Biomedical Engineer MSC, TCT Researcher, and Doctoral Student Post Transplant
Returning to Lead the Clinical TCT laboratory
Into the Next Era
Coming Soon...
#IntotheNextEra #CellTherapy #HSCT #CART #Immunotherapy #CancerResearch