Meet the Team: Technical Services and Performance Studies
Behind every seamless laboratory operation, accurate test result, and perfectly calibrated instrument is a team of dedicated, expert team members working tirelessly behind the scenes. We would like to introduce a few of ours!
In the first edition of our new "Meet the Team" series, we are pulling back the curtain on our Technical Services Team—the brilliant minds spanning Performance Studies, Technical Services, and Instrument/Calibration Services. Whether they are validating cutting-edge technologies, troubleshooting complex technical hurdles on the front lines, or ensuring your equipment meets precision standards, this powerhouse group is the in-house technical lifeline for our customers.
Daniel Ballew- "Thank you so much for sitting down with me today. I would like to start by putting a face to a name for our readers. Can you introduce yourself and which area of Technical Services your focus is?"
"My name is Belle Quaresma. I am a Performance Studies Microbiologist, and I have been with Hardy Diagnostics for two years now."
"My name is Elide Herrera. I’m a Technical Services Microbiologist, and I have been here for five years."
"And I’m Gabriel Garza. I am the Lead Technical Support Representative for Instrumentation here at Hardy Diagnostics and I have been with the company for twelve years."
DB- "For our audience who may be unfamiliar with your department, or maybe your specific area, can you give a little back story on what it is your group is responsible for here at Hardy Diagnostics? What does a typical day look like?"
BQ- "For Performance Studies, the most overarching tasks we do are the evaluation and documentation of performance of different products for regulatory compliance for FDA and AOAC International requirements, and other government and industry standards. We ensure our products meet those standards and provide the evidence."
DB- "Interesting. I know you guys also do stability studies, right?"
BQ- "Yes, definitely! Stability studies are a big one for us, especially for certain groups of products."
DB- "How about you Elide? Can you give some more insight into the Technical Services team’s work?"
EH- "I split my time between a few things. It changes day to day! It really depends on the type of projects and our priorities, but it can go from a day with a lot of testing in lab, to doing a lot of protocol drafting or report writing at my computer. We all share different responsibilities, so some team members spend more time supporting technical calls and emails from customers or other departments, while some of us spend more time on projects requiring research, protocols, reports, and a lot of testing in lab."
DB – "Wow that’s a lot! And then Gabe, your group is a little different but still within Technical Services. Can you give me a little insight on what your group is responsible for here at Hardy?
GG- "Sure. So, the Instrumentation Group within Technical Services answers customer inquiries and provides troubleshooting. We also receive various instruments for repairs, or more commonly, yearly calibrations of air samplers. We also handle the on-site installation of some of our instruments."
DB- "Oh interesting. Would that just be for the larger instruments?"
GG- "Yeah. Instruments like the MALDI or Gradientech’s QuickMIC®. We ensure they arrive safely to the facility and are set up, as well as train the staff on the instrument."
DB- "Going a step further—what is one thing about your department’s daily work or process that you think would totally surprise our customers if they saw it?"
BQ- "I think there's a lot of behind-the-scenes work that not everyone knows the ins and outs of. You'll see a big post on the website or on LinkedIn of an FDA-cleared product not knowing the behind-the-scenes work we've done, months and months of lab testing, writing protocols, compiling data, submitting our work to the FDA, responding to their feedback, and making changes to get the product cleared and across the finish line."
EH- "I agree with Belle. I would also say the amount of time it takes to complete the projects, because it requires a lot of planning and reviewing, a lot of time to carry out testing and do data analysis and troubleshooting when needed." She laughs, "For medical devices, it can take years to go from development phases to receiving FDA clearance, depending on the complexity of the project."
DB- "It would seem that to be a part of Technical Services, you have to be a pretty patient person! Gabe, how about you? What would surprise people about Instrumentation Services?"
GG -"I think it would surprise people how many instruments we support and the different ways we support each instrument. Whether it’s calibrating air samplers, servicing Gram Stainers, traveling to install a MALDI-TOF unit- we do a lot!"
DB- "Has that variety been a challenge to your team?"
GG- "Yeah in that these technologies are all different from each other. An air sampler is vastly different in its complexity than a mass spectrometry unit that is vaporizing bacteria with a laser! You really must take the time to understand how each piece of instrumentation works on a fundamental level to really diagnose or troubleshoot them."
DB- "Let’s pivot a bit back to the wider team. Adding up the team, how many years of collective experience do you all have together?"
BQ- "Well over a hundred years on the combined Performance Studies and Technical Service side!
DB- "Wow! Gabe, what about the Instrument side of things?"
GG- "Over 60 years at least!"
DB- "Every great team has people doing incredible work quietly in the background. Is there a specific 'unsung hero' or a standout moment in your department recently that we should highlight?"
BQ- "I think our management is very helpful. Like Anna, Lauren, and of course Andre just hold the team together and all their experience and advice has been a great help when it comes to building my skills and confidence in my role."
EH- "I think we all work really hard to help the projects move forward, but if I had to pick one person, I would say Nadine, because it wasn’t until she went on maternity leave that we fully realized the amount of work she does, and it's not that we were not aware, but it’s become so much more apparent now that we are having to pick up where she left off that we truly got to see how big her plate is!"
GG- "One person who has a real demanding task is Manny Escalera. He travels so much. He was gone for two months straight, just jumping from lab to lab to lab all throughout the U.S. for installations, even internationally sometimes. So that can take a toll on someone, but he always does such a good job."
DB- "You can really see how supportive everyone on the team is to each other, and how they each try their best to live up to our company’s service mantra! Looking at everything your team handles, what would you say is the most rewarding part of the work you do here every day?"
BQ- "I think the real-world impact is super helpful to know. While you're in the trenches of all the research and the protocol writing, knowing that one day, when this gets cleared, it'll help someone, it'll streamline the diagnostic process and make an impact. That's a real motivator and really rewarding. I think also, at heart, I just really like microbiology, and I like to nerd out about the projects I’m working on."
EH- "For me, it’s knowing that my work has a direct impact in patient care and that it will literally save lives, especially when we're talking about detection of antibiotic resistance."
GG- "I also think of a time we were in Florida for an installation of a MALDI-ToF unit, and students eagerly sticking their head in to check it out and getting excited to use an instrument they had only just read about prior. Meeting them, seeing their excitement, answering their questions- It was very cool to play a role in the education of future microbiologists."
DB- "I want to thank you all for taking the time for this interview! To conclude for our readers, what is one piece of advice you have for those looking to pursue a career in microbiology?"
BQ- "Don’t be afraid to explore all the opportunities presented to you. When I first graduated, I was like, "I want to be in a clinical lab with patient samples." I wanted a certain path, but I didn’t know I could even do what I am doing now, and I am super happy in my current position. So, for me I think, explore every possible avenue because you never know what's around the corner that might surprise you."
EH- "Be curious. Ask questions. Work on your problem-solving skills and be highly detail oriented. That will take you far."
GG- "You may go to school for something, but it is rare you will use everything. Be willing to look for and find a niche and not be afraid to challenge yourself to learn again. Stay up to date with current events and studies. Network and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there."
DB- "This has been great. Belle, Elide, Gabe- thank you for giving us a peek behind the curtain into everything you do. On behalf of Hardy Diagnostics and our customers, thank you to you and your team!"
Meet the author
MARKETING MANAGER at HARDY DIAGNOSTICS
Daniel Ballew
Daniel Ballew is the Marketing Communications Supervisor at Hardy Diagnostics, where he combines a background in history with expertise in medical device marketing. Drawing on strong research, writing, and digital marketing skills, he has helped shape the company's marketing strategy through content development, design, coding, and social media. Daniel has spoken at the Medical Device Marketing Conference East on how to build open dialogue and build trust between Marketing and Sales teams. Daniel spends his time volunteering at his local Elks lodge, working with cattle, and playing various instruments.
