Maria N Nguyen

• Local building Inductions, PC2 laboratory, Biosecurity laboratory and other specialised inductions (tissue culture, Cryogen safe practice, and Preparation for transportation of Genetically modified organism (GMO))
• Assist in safety audits to meet Australian National and State standards (Infrastructure, equipment and occupational) and legislation.

o Overseeing PC2 and (previously) PC3 for OGTR audits, DAFF Biosecurity audits

• Local Health and Safety representative for building N75
• Preparation of Chemical and Biological databases
• Coordinating waste (clinical and chemical) management
• Coordinating with University Biosafety Committee advisors and other Griffith University corporate services
• Assist with biological courier transportation and DG transportation (licenced)
• Prepare reports for post-accident investigation to identify possible accident causes and hazards.
• Develop recommendations to reduce hazards by improving gear, behaviours and procedures.
• Assist with coordinating of larger facility refurbishment projects
• Deliver and coordinate health and safety building and laboratory training for over 350 staff and students, educating them on workplace regulations, policies and procedures within Griffith and GRIDD. This did not including specialised local inductions.
• N75 Building Level 1 floor warden and first aider
• Administrative duties such as ;

o UBC and Animal ethics applications

o Devising and implementing Inductions and H&S procedures

o Risk assessments, SOPs and training register

o GRIDD-related instrument usage, expense reporting and developing business case for cost recovery.

o Organising PC2 lab duties rostering and supervision of lab duties

o Ordering and stocktaking

o General GRIDD consumable purchases, organising equipment servicing and GRIDD bulk FBS purchases

• Optimise and provide high end and general scientific equipment training, use, calibration, maintenance, troubleshooting and played a pivotal role in equipment cost recovery
• Organising and liaising with service technicians, sales reps and contractors
• General laboratory stocktaking of common consumables and restocking e.Freezer products
• Assisting research students and staff with experimental procedures, i.e. staining (fluorescence and IHC), Imaging (microscopy and molecular), cell biology instrumental analysis, and sourcing equipment needs, tissue culture etc.
• Assisting in liquid helium fills in Mass Spectrometer and NMR
• Providing some IT support (hardware and software)
• Testing mycoplasma contamination for GRIDD tissue culture lab members
• Organising onsite pipette servicing for GRIDD
• Assist GRIDD Institute Manager with spacing (equipment and people), seating (office and laboratory) and computer access for new members
• Organising STEM engagement events on behalf of GRIDD
• Assisted eResearch on the replacement of Columbus and rollout of OMERO Glencoe

2011-2013: MicroRNA and its anti-cancer effects

Transfecting cell lines and performing in vitro and in vivo analysis of the cell line. Tissue and cell harvesting and preparation for immunofluorescence and molecular assays. Performing protein and gene expression analysis.

2011-2013: Developing Cancer Therapies by targeting Vitamin E analogues to Mitochodria

In vivo and in vitro labelling of proliferating cells, tissues, cell harvesting, including processing for immunofluorescence and molecular assays. Performing protein and gene expression analysis.

• Converted the PC1 to a PC2 laboratory to enable risk group 2 research
• Preparation of Chemical and Biological databases
• Coordinating waste (clinical and chemical) management
• Administrative duties such as

o UBC and Animal ethics applications

o Maintaining chemical and biological database

o Ordering and stocktaking

o Risk assessments and SOPs

• Coordinating with Griffith University corporate services
• Animal behavioural assistance
• Animal care and surgeries
• Tissue processing and sectioning for quantitative and qualitative Image analysis
• Immunohistochemistry
• Assisting research students
• Organising and liaising with service technicians, Sales Reps and Contractors

2010: EdU-tagged hypoxanthine as a marker for Malaria

In vitro labelling of malarial parasites with numerous EdU-tagged hypoxanthine.

2009: A novel thymidine analogue for characterizing cell proliferation

In vivo and in vitro labelling of proliferating cells, tissue and cell harvesting and preparation for immunofluorescence and molecular assays

2008-2009: Stem cell therapy in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Stereotaxic surgeries and animal preparation for recovery surgery and postsurgical animal care. Reagent and equipment preparation and conducting transcardiac perfusion fixation. Tissue processing, embedment and sectioning (optimised and published on techniques). Immunofluorescence labelling of all specimen and fluorescence image capture for the analysis of graft site. Data analysis and archiving.