Bioanalysis Rising Star Award 2022: the judges

Bioanalysis rising star award

We are thrilled to announce the judging panel for the Bioanalysis Rising Star Award (formly the New Investigator Award). Each judge is a leading expert in the bioanalytical community and we are delighted they are sharing their knowledge and expertise to help make this year’s award extra special!

Back to the 2022 Bioanalysis Rising Star Award

Nikunj Tanna
Senior Scientists at Waters Corporation (MA, USA)

Nikunj Tanna is a Senior Scientist in the scientific operations group at Waters Corporation (MA, USA). His work focuses on complete workflow solutions for quantitation of small and large molecules using tandem quadrupole and HRMS platforms. Tanna is also part of the small molecule discovery and biomedical research team, looking at driving LC–MS based solutions in early small drug discovery. In his previous role as General Supervisor and Bioanalytical Scientist at Berg LLC (MA, USA), Tanna led a clinical diagnostics team focused on providing PK support for the companies’ small molecule drug candidates and performing analytical and clinical validation, and routine analysis for the company’s protein based prostate cancer biomarker panel. Tanna completed his Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and Master’s  in Bioanalytical Sciences from the University of Mumbai (India), and his Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Northeastern University (MA, USA).

neil 2Neil Spooner
Director and Founder of Spooner Bioanalytical Solutions (Hertford, UK)

Neil Spooner (Ph.D., C.Chem., F.R.S.C.) is the Founder and Director of Spooner Bioanalytical Solutions, a consultancy based in Hertford, UK.  In this role, Neil helps companies to integrate microsampling and patient centric sampling of biological fluids into pre-clinical, clinical and bioanalytical workflows.  He also works with innovator companies to help them develop novel microsampling and microanalytical technologies and introduce them to the market.  Neil is a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire (Hertfordshire, UK), the Senior Editor of Bioanalysis Journal, the co-chair of the CPSA Europe meeting and the Deputy-Chair and Secretary of the Reid Bioanalytical Forum. He has published extensively, with over 60 peer reviewed manuscripts and more than 40 podium presentations at international Conferences and Symposia.

“I am extremely honoured to have been invited to act as one of the judges for this prestigious award.  I am a great believer in encouraging the development of the new and exciting talent we need to face the bioanalytical challenges of the future and for them to bring forwards the novel approaches and ideas that will be the lifeblood of our discipline in the years to come.”

Zhuo Chen
Exploratory Biomaker Assay Sr. Analyst
GSK (PA, USA)

Zhuo Chen received his BS and MS degree in Peking University (Beijing, China) and then pursued a PhD degree at Brown University (RI, USA) focusing on mass spectrometry-based proteomics. After graduating from Brown in 2016, Zhuo joined GSK as a GSK/Waters joint postdoctoral fellow. In the department of bioanalysis, immunogenicity and biomarkers (BIB), his work focused on developing LC−MS assays to quantitate protein therapeutics and biomarkers. Since switching to a full-time GSK employee of BIB in 2017, he took more responsibility for supporting GLP-regulated PK/PD assays. Zhuo has published five bioanalytical papers since 2019 and delivered oral presentations at ASMS and CPSA annual conferences.

Laurѐn D Bailey 
Associate Principal Scientist at Merck (PA, USA)

Her scientific training started with obtaining a BS in Chemistry from Saint Joseph’s University (PA, USA). She then went on to pursue a PhD at Drexel University College of Medicine (PA, USA). During her graduate studies, she elucidated the viral inactivation mechanism of novel antagonistic anti-HIV peptide inhibitors. After graduating with a PhD in Biochemistry, she began her professional career in infectious disease drug discovery. Her diverse expertise spans chemistry, molecular biology and immunology in discovery and bioanalytical arenas, which she uses in her current role focused on developing vaccine immunogenicity assays in the Regulated Immunogenicity group of PPDM.