Title: Variant Scientist, Product and Automation Lead
Employer: Tempus Labs

Rachel graduated in 2017 with her BS in Integrative Biology. During undergrad she participated in undergraduate research, and she used those experiences to begin a career in biotech.

“The research opportunities I was able to have during undergrad made me a strong candidate for biotech, helping me get my first job at a start-up right after graduation.”

As a proficient Variant Scientist with a deep knowledge of Tempus processes, interconnected products, and policies, Rachel helps design, build, and maintain Clinical Science workflows that are scalable, scientifically correct, and clinically responsible. She acts as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for engineers, bioinformaticians, and UX designers building production-level software that impacts variant classification and report generation. By contributing to and prioritizing projects that address those areas, she plays a key role in automation projects aimed at increasing efficiency, scientific accuracy, and decreasing TAT for Tempus Lab’s clinical reports.

In addition to the above automation and product responsibilities, Rachel utilizes her training as a variant scientist to accurately classify somatic and germline variants for solid tumor and liquid biopsy NGS panels using a variety of in-house software tools and external open source tools to analyze clinical molecular data.

Contact Christina Swanson at alumnimentor@sib.illinois.edu if you would like to connect with Rachel.