Supervisor of Upstream Operations

Always challenge yourself to be a better version of yourself every day.

This is a wise piece of advice that’s helped Judo Gayibor in his career at the Frederick National Laboratory.

Gayibor has worked at the FNL for seven years and says he feels fortunate to have the opportunity to move around and work across multiple areas, providing him with a broader understanding of the field.

In his current role, Gayibor is a Supervisor of Upstream Operations within the Vaccine Clinical Materials Program.

Tell us about your work at the Frederick National Laboratory.

My team and I are part of the Vaccine Clinical Materials Program that supports the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center (VRC). Our department is focused on successful growth of bacterial and mammalian cell cultures. As a supervisor, I ensure that all day-to-day operations in our department run smoothly and successfully through extensive preparation with associates and by coordinating with other departments responsible in ensuring the success of a campaign.

How did you become interested in your line of work, and what drew you to the Frederick National Laboratory?

At the time, I was looking for either a government position or at a government-affiliated company. I applied for various opportunities and was fortunately selected by Leidos Biomedical Research. While I landed in this line of work by chance, clinical vaccine development and production is a noble, impactful, and fulfilling area to work in.

What accomplishment(s) at the Frederick National Laboratory are you most proud of or how has your work made impact?

It was an honor for me to be part of the team that worked on the Zika vaccine production campaign. Hosting scientists from Brazil and showing them our work, and the impact it has on them, was truly a special and unforgettable experience.