Here at Quantabio, we pride ourselves on building robust kits and reagents that will work reliably for our customers. But we know that even with the best products, customers may still need an assist from time to time. That’s why we count on Monal Patel, associate director of technical services, to deliver high-quality support for our customers and partners. She joined Quantabio in 2011 and holds a B.S. in biomedical chemistry from Sheffield Hallam University and a PhD in molecular biology from the University of North Texas.
Q: What do you do at Quantabio?
A: I lead the technical support department, which was introduced about five years ago. We didn’t have that function before at Quantabio since we’re a relatively small team, and I had the opportunity to build it out. I’ve been at this company for more than 10 years, primarily in sales roles, so this position allowed me to take that sales and product knowledge, plus my general expertise in the industry, to tailor the technical support function for our business. We support our internal sales team as well as our external clients and distribution partners globally. Taking care of our customers is the ultimate goal.
Q: What brought you to the company?
A: I’ve always been driven to work with the right people. Any job I take has to be the right role that fits my personality, knowledge base, and what I want to accomplish. But most importantly, it has to be working for the right people and with the right people. I was very happy in my prior role, but the opportunity to go from a very large company to a smaller one where I could expand my skill set and work with this amazing team — that’s what drew me to Quantabio.
Q: What’s the best thing about your job?
A: My favorite part of the role is the customer interaction. It’s really exciting to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening out there even without performing the hands-on science myself. There is satisfaction in using our scientific expertise to help customers achieve their goals with our products.
Q: What do you wish more people knew about Quantabio?
A: I wish more people knew about the quality of our products. We have a very specific portfolio in amplification, NGS, and library prep. We draw in a lot of people through the brand recognition we have built over the years, but there are many people in the scientific community who have yet to experience our products.
Q: Fill in the blank: Better reagents lead to ______.
A: Better results. Science is tricky; it’s all about variables. When you limit the variables, the better your outcome will be. If you can be assured that your reagents are going to perform consistently day in and day out, it’s going to give you more confidence in your results and allow you to focus on achieving the experimental goal.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
A: I like to work out, both for the exercise and to keep my mind free. I’ve always been active from a very young age. My family is into sports, both watching and playing. Tennis in particular is a passion of mine. I also learned to play golf as an adult, and have developed a greater appreciation for the sport now that both my girls play competitively.
Q: What’s your ideal vacation?
A: We love to travel as a family. I look for a good balance of adventure and exploration that allows you to immerse yourself in the culture and cuisine of where you’re visiting, as well as some R&R. Recently we visited Greece. We did plenty of activities such as hiking the Samaria Gorge on Crete, snorkeling excursions on Milos, and exploring various other islands, but we also had some time to wind down and simply relax.
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Feb 8, 2024
