Sophia Laskaris-Garcia

Laboratory Manager @Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)

San Francisco, CA, US

Direct all operational aspects of the lab, supporting principal investigator Dr. Zachary Knight and managing a large-scale mouse colony of over 700 cages for behavioral Neuroscience research • Coordinate strategic planning, lab operations to support scientific goals, including equipment acquisition, space utilization, and vendor relationships. • Serve as primary liaison between the lab and UCSF’s IACUC and EH & S, ensuring full compliance across all animal protocols and lab safety initiatives • Perform comprehensive animal health checks and address any potential health issues within the colony • Supervise a multidisciplinary team of 20 people (including postdocs, graduate students, and research staff), providing mentorship, guidance and conflict resolution • Develop and maintain onboarding processes for new personnel, ensuring timely completion of all compliance, safety, and training requirements • Redesign and maintain lab website to showcase ongoing research, and support recruitment and outreach initiatives • Manage lab infrastructure and equipment service contracts, coordinate repairs, service requests, and facility access with UCSF and external vendors • Prepared and coordinated MTAs in collaboration with UCSF and HHMI teams to support the acquisition and distribution of research materials in compliance with institutional policies