ABRF Member Spotlight: Emma McLaughlin

ABRF Member Spotlight:

Emma McLaughlin
Research Associate
Vanderbilt University Medical Center 

ABRF sat down recently with Emma McLaughlin at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, to learn more about her role in shared research resources and her ABRF experiences. 

ABRF: Tell us about your background and current role. 

Emma: I’ve been working as a Research Technician in the Flow Cytometry Core facility at VUMC since 2022, joining the group directly out of college.  My responsibilities include running flow cytometry experiments, educating users, and performing instrument maintenance. 

ABRF:   How did you learn about ABRF? 

Emma:  I was introduced to ABRF through Jenny Schafer here at Vanderbilt and her involvement in the SEASR chapter.   I had the opportunity to attend the SEASR meeting in Nashville, and it was so valuable to meet more people who work in flow cytometry from similar organizations.  I also attended the Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, where I was able to connect with a wide range of people working in similar positions throughout the country. 

ABRF:   What information do you look for from ABRF? 

Emma:  I appreciate the education resources available through ABRF, including best practices in flow cytometry.  I enjoyed hearing from others during the sessions at the SEASR meeting to learn how they are approaching similar issues with experiments and working with users.   

ABRF:   Research Groups, including the Flow Cytometry Research Group, are some of the most valuable ways for members to engage with their colleagues to design projects to address mutual interests.  Many Research Groups offer opportunities to contribute to studies that result in publications and presentations to advance members’ professional development.  Is that something interesting for you? 

Emma:  Yes, I’d appreciate being connected with others who work in Flow Cytometry. 

ABRF:   Along with ABRF meetings, the Core Community includes numerous discussions on general and specialized topics facing ABRF members.  Have you explored the Core Community? 

Emma:   While I haven’t posted to the Community yet, I will look into the Flow Cytometry group and post any new questions I have. 

ABRF:  Are you planning to attend the 2026 ABRF Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh? 

Emma:  I hope so, depending on budget resources at my institution. 

ABRF:  Visit the meeting web site to learn more about the Scholarships and Travel Awards available to help more members attend the meeting.    There are also opportunities to propose a lightning talk or poster presentation. 

Emma:  Thank you.  I’ll watch out for those options. 

ABRF:  Thank you.  We look forward to seeing you at another ABRF meeting again soon.