.jpg "Cristhian R. Sáchez-Rolón, MS photo")
Quality Assurance Specialist
Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit
San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
My name is Cristhian R Sanchez Rolon and I'm currently working as a Quality Assurance Specialist in the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU). I am employed by PRVCU at its Ponce, PR station where I have worked for about 5 years. I started as a Laboratory Technician extracting and identifying captured mosquitoes in our surveillance traps, AGO (Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap), and preparing mosquito pools for PCR testing in our central laboratory. During the last four years, I have extracted and identified mosquitoes captured from over 150,000 traps including AGO, BG, and CDC Light Traps. In addition, I have worked on rearing Aedes aegypti to conduct insecticide resistance tests (CDC Bottle Assays). Recently, I was the lead technician on the use of Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes inoculated with Wolbachia bacteria for population suppression of this species in various communities of Ponce, PR.
My role as Quality Assurance Specialist is to develop and implement protocols for the standardization of our data collection, handling, and analysis to ensure that it is of the highest quality possible. For example, my typical QA analysis for a mosquito surveillance program examines the number of traps/unit area, distance and location of traps, chain of custody compliance for traps, data extraction/processing procedures (identification accuracy, counting accuracy, mosquito pool preparation using proper techniques, etc.), compliance with trap maintenance schedules, etc. For mosquito control operations, I evaluate areas where control is necessary, recommend appropriate methods, analyze post-treatment data to ensure that the treatments were effective, etc. My expectation is to continue learning about the diverse types of surveillance and control methods in the fight against Aedes aegypti and adapt it to Puerto Rico. I want to contribute in the research to prevent the transmission of vector borne diseases and an emerging plan to eradicate dengue in Puerto Rico.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
12:15pm – 1:45pm