Chuck Rosales joined Micronoma in July 2021 as the quality manager, responsible for implementing and maintaining all compliance and quality procedures to ensure that patient testing is performed with the highest standards. Though born in Kansas, he has lived in San Diego since he was four years old. He received his B.S. from UC San Diego and worked for several biotechs before joining the team at Micronoma.
Chuck spoke with us to provide some insight into his work and path to Micronoma.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Since I am the quality manager, I review and assess a great deal of paperwork and make sure that we are keeping up with all of the regulations and guidelines set by our accreditation institutions. I have a little bit of OCD, which I love since it helps me be organized and get things done! I write procedures and implement different protocols to make sure that we have high quality work, and that we can obtain and maintain all needed certifications, such as CLIA, CAP or New York State accreditations. This includes setting up the necessary systems and standards needed for reliable patient testing.
Tell us about your educational background and previous work?
I went to school at UC San Diego, received a B.S. in biochemistry and worked for UC San Diego Hospital in the immunogenetics and transplant department. I was the data manager and took care of all results, wrote reports and filtered through patients that were needing transplants. I managed the coordinating donor list (their eligibility and match) between UC San Diego and external agencies. That is where I started my career in the healthcare field, and then I moved into working in biotech companies. This is the fourth cancer research biotech company that I have worked in.
Did anyone inspire you along the way? Tell us about them
My parents have always inspired me, since they have always been hard working individuals. I also had a really amazing teacher (Mr. Burns) in middle school that pushed me towards the science field. He was a great role model and gave me the support and encouragement that I needed. He helped me realize that I could accomplish anything that I wanted to accomplish.
What led you to working at Micronoma?
I have always been interested in working for companies that focus on cancer research, so when I had the opportunity to work with Micronoma, I joined.
How has cancer personally impacted you?
I had a tumor on my neck that turned out to be benign, but the process was scary and life changing. I also lost my father to liver cancer in 2021.
What’s your favorite part about working at Micronoma?
We have a great team dynamic and I appreciate the overall seriousness and dedication that each team member has for the work being performed in the company.
What gets you most excited about the company’s future?
The innovation and potential of the company, and the fact that it is a new way of detecting cancer and the hope of being able to help patients get an early diagnosis.
How do you see the company changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
I see the company being a fully functioning laboratory that will have many assays in the market to help early diagnosis for different types of cancers. I can see myself helping accomplish this task by setting internal guidelines for proper testing, reporting, and client satisfaction.
What are your hobbies?
I regularly do obstacle courses. I do at least one obstacle course each month (Mud Runs, Tough Mudder, Spartan Races 3K, 5k, 10K only), and I am training for my first 26k Spartan race in Hawaii this coming August 2022.