Successful lab management requires more than just technical expertise—it demands effective lab leadership skills that balance operational efficiency, strategic planning, and team development. Strong lab managers implement lab management best practices to optimize workflows, anticipate challenges, and create a collaborative, high-performing team environment. At the heart of scientific leadership is the ability to unite people around a common goal while ensuring that laboratory operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Each year, Lab Manager honors individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership and management skills through the Leadership Excellence Awards program. The 2025 Excellence in Lab Management Award recognizes a leader who has made a significant impact by improving lab operations, streamlining processes, and fostering a culture of accountability and innovation.
Emily Anne Bayer Gall, PhD, senior director of laboratory operations at Interpace Biosciences, is this year’s recipient of the Excellence in Lab Management Award. Through her leadership, she has strengthened team dynamics, enhanced operational efficiency, and guided her lab through the challenges of resource management and process optimization.
Michelle Gaulin, associate editor at Lab Manager, spoke with Bayer Gall about her leadership philosophy, the challenges of lab management, and the strategies she uses to build strong teams and drive operational success.
Q: What resources or individuals did you learn your leadership and management skills from?
A: My leadership journey began with support and examples from my family. I have seen my father take on a natural leadership role in many aspects of his life, always stepping up to offer guidance and support for various personal and professional projects. He has never shied away from a challenge, and I deeply respect that.
I have also been very fortunate to learn leadership and management skills from some of my direct managers and the resources they have recommended. For example, I have found Miss Ella of Commander's Palace and The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations to be inspirational. I am also thankful to have a strong leadership team here at Interpace. The diverse backgrounds and willingness of this team to share information and provide encouragement have provided additional perspectives on leadership and management, for which I am very grateful.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your role and career?
"There are two parts of my career that I wake up for every day—the team of people I work with and the patients we are serving."
A: There are two parts of my career that I wake up for every day—the team of people I work with and the patients we are serving. It brings me joy to build relationships within our team and have pride knowing we are collectively working to achieve great things. I hope to be instrumental in advancing the careers of those I manage.
I have always found inspiration in applying my technical skills for the betterment of society and particularly in improving healthcare outcomes. These beliefs make it extremely satisfying to work at Interpace. We provide a very important and irreplaceable technical service by performing complex molecular analysis to help rule in or rule out cancer by risk-stratifying indeterminate cases.
Q: In your opinion, what are the most important qualities or skills for a laboratory leader to possess?
A: Some leadership skills that are needed to effectively run a lab are more operational in nature. They include things like being thoughtful about processes and workflows, being able to predict bottlenecks, and identifying the potential impacts of process changes.
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I believe it is at least equally important, though, to be skilled in crafting the proper culture for a team, to have clear communication, to provide support to team members, and to be accountable to both those I report to and those who report to me. It is necessary to determine one’s individual values and use those pillars to consistently navigate decision-making.
Q: What strategies have you found most effective for optimizing lab operations and efficiency?
A: All strategies start with the team. It is important to recognize the unique perspectives that all team members can provide, as well as their differing backgrounds, experience, and expertise. Uniting a diverse team for a common purpose is an important starting point for any task to be managed effectively. Once that is in place, gathering and analyzing metrics allows for data-driven process improvements.
Q: How do you approach budgeting and resource management to ensure long-term success?
"Whether it is a supply shortage, a regulatory change, or any number of unplanned scenarios, one of the most important ways to navigate these challenges in resource allocation is to be flexible and resilient."
A: This can be a challenging area, particularly when events, such as the pandemic, occur and impact all industries. However, I have learned that the unexpected should always be expected!
Whether it is a supply shortage, a regulatory change, or any number of unplanned scenarios, one of the most important ways to navigate these challenges in resource allocation is to be flexible and resilient. To achieve this, it helps to have a well-thought-out and detailed strategy from the start but also to have several contingency plans in place.
Emily Anne Bayer Gall’s career journey
Bayer Gall is a seasoned biomedical engineer with 15 years of expertise in designing and characterizing complex, multifunctional biomaterials. She holds a dual B.S. in civil engineering and biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a PhD in bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh, where her doctoral research focused on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. She is also a Certified Tissue Banking Specialist.
Bayer Gall has led cross-functional laboratory teams in both industry and academia, driving the discovery and development of innovative products, test methods, and techniques in regenerative medicine. Her doctoral work on biomimetic bone scaffolding resulted in multiple publications, including an invited review article for the Journal of Controlled Release and cover art selection for two issues of Tissue Engineering.
Her professional expertise includes scaling manufacturing processes and developing assays to assess Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) and Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) environments. She collaborates across departments to advance regulatory submissions, including the IND-to-BLA pathway for biologics and medical device combination products.
Bayer Gall also has experience overseeing clinical lab operations for College of American Pathologists (CAP)- and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-regulated test platforms. In her current role as senior director of laboratory operations at Interpace Biosciences, she manages technical project leads and clinical laboratory supervisors, ensuring the execution of multiple scientific initiatives alongside high-quality clinical testing.
