Linda Beth Schilling
Director. Chemistry & Life Sciences, Advanced
Technology Program
National Institute of Standards and Techology (NIST)


Talk Title: "Metrology and Standards for Biosystems and Health"

Abstract
Health care and bioscience projects at NIST span a broad range of activities, from basic research on the behavior of cell membranes (nano-bioscience) to clinical applications such as calibrations of mammography equipment. There are more than 80 such R&D projects underway in the NIST laboratories. Through research, improved measurements, test methods and data, and dozens of clinical and health-related reference standards, NIST is helping clinical laboratories, medical manufacturers, hospitals, drug makers, and biomedical researchers improve the accuracy of  medical tests.

NIST also plays an increasingly important role in bioscience research. 21st century life sciences draw heavily on almost every other scientific discipline - physics, engineering and surface science for nanotechnology; mathematics, physics, chemistry, electronics and information science for gene sequencing and genome research. NIST's unique cross-disciplinary perspective and research capabilities allow it to bring tools and expertise from physics, chemistry, engineering, manufacturing science, electronics, materials science and information technology to bear on the key metrology and standards needed to bring bioscience-based products and processes to the marketplace.

Biographical Sketch
As Director of the Chemistry & Life Sciences Office with the Advanced Technology Program (www.atp.nist.gov) at NIST since October 1996, Ms. Schilling manages R&D program development in chemistry and life sciences. She supervises a staff of 16 scientific/technical and business/economist project managers across two technical groups that evaluate proposals and manage ATP awards. Ms. Schilling is a chemical engineer, whose technical achievements as an ATP program manager include developing with industry a 1995 ATP Focused Program in Catalysis and Biocatalysis Technologies. Ms. Schilling received the first NIST George A. Uriano award in December 1996 for strengthening the ties of ATP to the chemical industry and improvements to the ATP competition process. Ms. Schilling has completed several management detail assignments within ATP as the Acting Deputy Director, and the Acting Director Electronics & Photonics Office, while performing her duties as the Director of the Chemistry and Life Sciences Office. Through special appointments, Ms. Schilling has acted as the Selecting Official for several ATP general and focused competitions, involving technologies across biotechnology, chemistry and materials, information technology, electronics and photonics and manufacturing. Ms. Schilling provided expertise in 2003 to the Department of Homeland Security Office of SAFETY Act Implementation, as they created the review process for issuing homeland security technology certifications. In 2004, Ms. Schilling was appointed to participate in the NIST Biosystems & Health Strategic Working Group and recently began a rotation as the Chair of the Strategic Working Group.

Prior to joining the ATP, Ms. Schilling was a Program Manager in the Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). While at DOE, Ms. Schilling completed a special assignment in to the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Energy on the coordinating, editing, and briefings associated with the publication of the 1993/94 Domestic Natural Gas and Oil Initiative. Ms. Schilling combines her Federal service with previous private sector experience as a Senior Reservoir Engineer/Project Manager for offshore oil and gas field development programs for Shell Offshore Inc. from 1981-89, including special projects in fluid flow simulation and property acquisitions. Ms. Schilling obtained her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

URL: http://www.atp.nist.gov

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