Ask the Expert
John H. Contois, Ph.D., is C₂N’s Laboratory Director. Contois received his Ph.D. in nutritional sciences from the University of Connecticut, where he focused on the clinical utility of apolipoproteins as cardiovascular disease risk factors. He received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and master of science degree from the University of Connecticut. Contois received board certification in clinical chemistry and is a fellow of the American Association of Clinical Chemistry. He has served as laboratory director in both hospital and commercial settings. Contois currently serves on the editorial boards of Clinica Chimica Acta, Practical Laboratory Medicine and the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. He has published more than 50 articles and book chapters.
Question to John: What attracted you to working in this space? What’s it like to be a part of the C₂N lab team?
John’s Answer: In graduate school I worked on developing methods for measurement of vitamin A, vitamin E and carotenoids in blood. Later, in a specialty cholesterol lab, I set up one of nine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cholesterol Reference Method Laboratories and discovered that I enjoyed clinical aspects of laboratory science. I was unaware at the time that there was a pathway for those who’ve earned a PhD to obtain credentials to be clinical laboratory directors, but once I learned about this option, I knew this was the career I would pursue.
I was attracted to C₂N Diagnostics because I recognized the importance of its mission and the quality of the science. The lab team is remarkable and a pleasure to work with every day. I was very impressed by their expertise, the quality of testing that they achieve, and their commitment to making a difference in the lives of people who are facing memory problems.
Q: What happens next and what’s in the future?
A: We just relocated to new state-of-the-art laboratory space on Duncan Avenue in St. Louis and are preparing to accommodate the increased testing volume we are seeing. In addition, we are preparing our application for New York state certification, which is more involved than for other states. Our research team is also working on innovative new tests that will enable us to continue providing the best solutions in brain health diagnostics.
