People

Baley Reeves

Baley Reeves became NCTM director in 2024 after serving as interim director in 2023. She has over 18 years of downstream processing experience and 14 years in biomanufacturing workforce training, with expertise in protein, vaccine, and gene therapy purification, cGMP manufacturing, and process development. Previously a scientist at BTEC, she taught course for industry leaders, regulatory agencies, and WHO. Baley holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton University.

Patti Edgar

Patti joined NCTM as Assistant Director in 2024, supporting workforce development, partnerships, funding proposals, and project management. She is an Instructional Assistant Professor in Texas A&M’s Department of Biology and a faculty advisor for ISPE. Her experience includes career services, regulatory affairs, project management, clinical development, and K-12 education. Patti holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Duke University.

Michael Johanson

Michael Johanson has led NCTM’s upstream operations team since 2019 and has served as Assistant Director of Operations since 2021. He leads the Gene Therapy Training Network and has supported COVID-19 research and training projects. Previously, Michael coordinated Blinn College’s Biotechnology Laboratory Sciences program and developed biology course materials. He holds an M.S. in Genetics from Texas A&M University and a B.S. in Biology Education from Brigham Young University.

Logan Ardrey

Logan Ardrey provides technical support to NCTM scientists on research and development projects. He prepares laboratories and equipment for training and instructs courses in upstream and analytical methods. With a background in microbiology, Logan worked at Texas A&M’s Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. His NCTM work first began in 2014 via BioFORCE Summer Academy. He earned a B.S. in Biology from Texas A&M in 2020 and returned to NCTM as a laboratory technologist in 2021.

Daniela Alves De Oliveira

Daniela joined NCTM as a research scientist in 2023 after previously collaborating with the center as a postdoctoral researcher. Her experience includes upstream, downstream, and analytical activities, as well as food industry and academic research. She holds a Ph.D. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University, where she received an Outstanding Engineering Ph.D. Graduate Student Award.

Andrew Syvyk

Andrew Syvyk supports upstream and downstream operations at NCTM and has over 20 years of experience in transgenesis, recombinant DNA technologies, and bioinformatics. His expertise includes DNA vector design, protein expression, purification, and cell culture. Andrew holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and a master’s in Biotechnology. His research includes stem cell lines, transgenic animal models, and antiviral vaccine development.

Sharla de Frere

Sharla de Frere joined NCTM in 2025, bringing experience in financial consulting, corporate finance, and banking. She previously founded and led a financial consulting firm serving small businesses and held senior financial analyst roles at EDS and Dell, as well as credit analysis positions at Comerica Bank. She holds a BS from Trinity University and an MA and MBA from UT Austin. At NCTM, she supports accounting, business operations, and project administration.

Steven Bravo

Steven Bravo serves as NCTM’s equipment and instrumentation specialist, supporting research, workforce training, and continual improvement projects. He has expertise in metrology, computer systems, and cGMP environments. Before joining NCTM in 2021, Steven worked in Quality Assurance at iBio CDMO, managing instrument calibration and preventive maintenance. A former NCTM student worker, he holds a B.S. from Texas A&M University and an A.A.S. from Blinn College in these fields.

Victor “Trey” Martinez III

Andy Nguyen

Lyndsey Torrez

Lyndsey Torrez is NCTM’s Laboratory Coordinator and Building Proctor Liaison. He has over 15 years of experience working in and managing laboratories across Texas A&M University, including biotechnology, veterinary diagnostics, and biological engineering labs. His research experience includes cotton breeding genetics and plant pathology. Lyndsey is a member of the Texas A&M Class of 2006 and holds a B.S. in Bioenvironmental Science.