Core Facilities are critical to advancing life sciences research, providing infrastructure, expertise, and technologies that enable scientific discovery. As research becomes increasingly complex and collaborative, facilities must adopt standardized, scalable approaches to ensure reproducibility, efficiency, and long-term impact.
This webinar brings together leaders from prominent research centers to share how they are leveraging structured methods, standardized workflows, and collaborative platforms like protocols.io to strengthen operations and amplify their impact. From enabling reproducibility and improving training to increasing visibility and recognition, the session will explore practical strategies for modern core facility management.
Join us for a dynamic discussion on how method sharing, consistent documentation, and cross-institutional collaboration are shaping the future of research ecosystems.
In this session, we will cover:
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How protocols.io helps core facilities demonstrate and scale their impact
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Increasing visibility and recognition through citable and discoverable protocols
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Standardizing documentation to improve reproducibility and consistency
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Enabling effective training and onboarding through shared workflows
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Supporting collaboration across institutions and distributed teams
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Aligning facility practices with open science and FAIR principles
Register for free webinar
April 09, 2026
11:00 AM EST | 5:00 PM CET
Speakers
James McGrath, PhD
Director, TraCe-bMPS
URMC
James McGrath is the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rochester and Founding Director of the Translational Center for Barrier Microphysiological Systems (TraCe-bMPS), an NIA-funded Tissue Chip Testing Center. TraCe-bMPS develops microphysiological systems (MPS) as alternatives to animal models in drug development, reflecting a broader shift in pharmaceutical science toward human cell-based platforms that better predict clinical outcomes. The center operates with pharmaceutical partners alongside academic sites that serve as external testing centers for reproducibility. TraCe-bMPS is powered by the modular µSiM tissue barrier platform, which enables co-culture of cells across ultrathin nanoporous silicon membranes in microfluidic devices. Active programs include models of cytokine release syndrome neurotoxicity for FDA qualification and juvenile dermatomyositis in collaboration with Duke University. Professor McGrath co-founded three companies to translate nanomembrane innovations: SiMPore (2007), Parverio (2020), and SiObex (2024). He holds 16 patents and more than 115 publications.
Joan E. Adamo, PhD
Director for Regulatory Support Services,
URMC
Joan E. Adamo, Ph.D., is the Director for the Office of Regulatory Support at the University of Rochester's Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), with a secondary faculty appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Prior to joining Rochester, she served as a researcher and regulator at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where she focused on vaccine research along with regulatory review and conduct of audits of domestic and international vaccine manufacturers. At TraCe-bMPS, Dr. Adamo has led the development of the center's quality system for microphysiological system (MPS) development, using the protocols.io platform as the framework for creating, versioning, and managing standard operating procedures. Her work bridges FDA regulatory expectations with the practical demands of translational research as the field advances human cell-based models as alternatives to animal testing.
Barbara Olack
Senior Research Coordinator, IIDP
City of Hope
Barbara Olack began her career in diabetes research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, working on pioneering work in human islet isolation and transplantation. After 28 years managing the Human Islet Isolation Research Facility, she joined City of Hope and now supports the Integrated Islet Distribution Program (IIDP), where she oversees quality assurance and supports researchers receiving human islets for diabetes research.
Moderator
Mericka McCabe, PhD
Associate Scientific Engagement Manager
protocols.io
Mericka engages with new and existing protocols.io users through webinars, demos, and trainings. Mericka has a PhD in Biomedical Sciences and has played a leadership role in the international Women in Autophagy network. She is passionate about scientific collaboration and enhancing global access to reproducible research.