Our recently acquired flow cytometry portfolio is characterized by our dedication to deliver cutting edge solutions for all levels of customer research needs. Taylor Pangallo, Manager of Quality Assurance, is an integral part of ensuring that everything from product development to field support is approached with the end user in mind. She joined the Seattle-based team in 2015, holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Washington, and is currently pursuing her MBA from Washington State University.
Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?
A: As part of quality assurance, I ensure that we provide positive customer experience and reliable technology for our scientists. I work with research and development (R&D), operations, service, procurement, and other groups, so I get an end-to-end view of the products from ideation to after-market service and complaints. Quality assurance is the glue that holds all of these pieces together. I am part of a team that makes sure that both regulators and customers are happy.
Q: What did you do before this job?
A: I was a manufacturing engineer for a medical device company that made defibrillators. I was responsible for sourcing, so I traveled quite a bit. That was a great experience—I got to see different types of manufacturing and spent a lot of time in various countries.
Q: What drew you to the flow cytometry business?
A: The people and the amazing technology! The Amnis® Technology is unique in that it combines microscopy with flow cytometry, so users can click on a particle and see what’s happening with each sample. It’s like the Rolls-Royce of flow cytometry!
Q: If you weren’t a Quality Assurance Manager at Luminex, where would you be?
A: I’ve always been a problem solver, so wherever a problem is, I want to figure out how things work. I always thought it would be cool to be a private investigator.
Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?
A: I’ve had a lot of family members deal with cancer and recently lost someone to it. It touches everyone’s lives at some level. The treatment alone is so painful, and the whole experience is taxing to everyone—not just the patient, but the whole support network. It’s such a debilitating process. Even if we could just eliminate the pain and other side effects of treatment, that would be a huge improvement.
Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?
A: My husband and I recently bought a house and are in the process of totally dismantling it. It’s a 1940s bungalow in the West Seattle neighborhood. We weren’t super handy before, but there’s something really satisfying about ripping something out and putting something else back in. I found out that I have a love for demolition!
Q: What is your favorite thing to do in Seattle on the weekend?
A: We have a rescue chocolate Lab who basically runs our house, so we spend most weekends hanging out with her, sometimes taking her kayaking. An ideal weekend would be taking her for a run, or going out to explore a few of the local coffee shops in Seattle.
