Tracy Durnan has led an impressive career as a researcher and administrator in her 30 years working in the field of biomedical research. Tracy served as the senior manager of Facilities Operations and Laboratory Support at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center for 15 years. In 2017, she received the Sylvester Stars Award from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, which recognizes excellence in research administrative staff. Tracy had the unique distinction of receiving nominations for the Sylvester Stars award from more faculty members than any previous recipient. In her role, Tracy led the onboarding of new research labs and significant process improvement efforts in both the research and hospital operations at Sylvester. Tracy has led over a dozen major renovation projects, improving the working environment for hundreds of employees. 

Tracy is also an expert in disaster preparedness; she published an article in Lab Manager on the topic of disaster preparedness in September 2018 and has presented talks on the topic at national conventions. She recently received certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Finally, she is now a research operations manager supporting the researchers at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Before joining the Sylvester Research Administration team, Tracy was the research laboratory coordinator of one of the largest labs at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, for four years. Tracy has also worked in laboratory leadership roles at institutions such as NASA and the University of Colorado Medical Center.