Meet the Cannabis Science Conference Fall Speakers: Autumn Phillips Discusses Cannabis Testing for Heavy Metals with ICP-OES
Let’s meet Cannabis Science Conference Fall speaker Autumn Phillips, a Research Chemist and Chemical Hygiene Officer at Inorganic Ventures.
Cannabis Science Conference (CSC) Fall will be taking place in Providence, Rhode Island September 20-22nd. CSC Fall features several exciting tracks: analytical science, cultivation, medical cannabis, and psychedelics. With expert speakers coming in from around the country, we thought it was a great opportunity to introduce some of them and get a sneak peek into their presentations. Let’s meet Autumn Phillips, a Research Chemist and Chemical Hygiene Officer at Inorganic Ventures. She received two bachelor’s degrees from Virginia Tech in Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2016. Autumn has worked at Inorganic Ventures for seven years and her experience includes techniques in ICP-OES, ICP-MS, and ion chromatography analysis, as well as complex sample digestions and purifications. Autumn will be co-presenting with Dr. Sergei Leikin in the analytical track at the upcoming Cannabis Science Conference Fall with a talk titled “Analysis of Cannabis Products for Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, and Lead by ICP-OES: Meeting the DL Challenge” which is taking place September 21st in Providence, Rhode Island. Here, she shares a little about her science background and how he got involved cannabis testing as well as a preview of what to expect from her exciting talk!
Autumn Phillips
Can you tell us about your background and how you got involved with cannabis testing?
Autumn Phillips: Yes, I'm currently a research chemist at Inorganic Ventures, which is a certified reference materials provider in Christiansburg, Virginia. I started out with the company right after I graduated from Virginia Tech in 2016. I received a dual bachelor's degree in chemistry and biochemistry and then I started here in August right after my graduation that spring. My first four years were spent in the manufacturing department where I was performing different reactions and purifications. Our main goal is to achieve the highest quality and highest purity products, so that was what I was working on my first four years here. After that I spent about a year as a technical support chemist. In that role, I was helping customers with troubleshooting issues in their labs and improving their processes—things of that nature. Then for about two years now I've been in the R&D department. We work on a lot of projects for developing new products and different method developments as well as improving our in-house processes.
I first got involved with cannabis testing when Dr. Sergei Leikin from Texas Scientific Products reached out to us about partnering on developing a method for ICP-OES testing of cannabis. We were looking for heavy metals in cannabis products and I was really excited to get to partner with them on that. That was kind of my first introduction to cannabis testing and I've definitely learned a lot along the way, so I'm excited to see where that takes me.
What are you most looking forward to at the Cannabis Science Conference Fall 2023?
Phillips: I'm really looking forward to just meeting and talking with other scientists and professionals in this industry. I've been to a couple of the Cannabis Science Conferences the last couple of years and I've always learned a lot from hearing such a diversity of different voices and different professions. I'm really looking forward to just learning from everyone.
Can you give us a preview of what you’ll be discussing in your talk?
Phillips: Yes, we'll be going over the method that we developed for analyzing heavy metals and in cannabis products using ICP-OES instrumentation. We used a couple of different ICP-OES instruments, so we’ll discuss some of the different challenges of using one versus the other and just general challenges that we ran into that we can help other analysts overcome when they undergo their analysis.
Stay tuned for more with Autumn Phillips with our live video conference coverage taking place September 21-22, 2023 or join us in person to hear Autumn and Sergei’s presentation and many others at the Cannabis Science Conference Fall in Providence, RI. Register today with code SUMMER40 to save 40%: https://bit.ly/3pIBuJp!
Cannabis, US Presidential Election 2024, and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion, Part II
December 17th 2024With the recent 2024 presidential election behind us, the future of cannabis still has many unknowns moving forward and questions still to be discussed. In this roundtable discussion with four knowledgeable industry leaders, we explore the nuanced political landscape of cannabis legalization and rescheduling in the context of the election, including state and federal policies and possible paths forward for testing standardization. Join us in the second part of a compilation of responses from Kim Anzarut, CQA, CP-FS, CEO of Allay Consulting; Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC; Zacariah Hildenbrand, PhD, research Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso; and David Vaillencourt, CEO of The GMP Collective.
Cannabis, US Presidential Election 2024, and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion, Part I
December 16th 2024With the recent 2024 presidential election behind us, the future of cannabis still has many unknowns moving forward and questions still to be discussed. In this roundtable discussion with four knowledgeable industry leaders, we explore the nuanced political landscape of cannabis legalization and rescheduling in the context of the election. We discuss what drives support or opposition from both sides of the aisle, the complexities of balancing state and federal priorities, and more. Join us in the first part of a compilation of responses from Kim Anzarut, CQA, CP-FS, CEO of Allay Consulting; Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC; Zacariah Hildenbrand, PhD, research Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso; and David Vaillencourt, CEO of The GMP Collective.
Empowering Women in Cannabis: Susan Audino, PhD, on Inclusivity, Integrity, and Industry Challenges
December 11th 2024Founder of S. A. Audino & Associates, LLC, Susan Audino, PhD, recently co-founded Saturn Scientific, LLC, a collaboration of five experienced individuals providing unbiased evaluations on the data and science for stakeholders in the cannabis industry. In this interview with Cannabis Science and Technology, Dr. Audino shares her unexpected path into analytical science and the cannabis industry as well as the obstacles she’s faced throughout her career. She highlights the gender bias she’s observed, such as unequal recognition of credentials and workplace challenges, while advocating for inclusivity and mentorship to empower women in science. Additionally, Dr. Audino recounts her experiences of navigating the male-dominated cannabis space, pushing for transparency, collaboration, and integrity in laboratory practices. Ultimately, Audino believes fostering mutual respect and knowledge-sharing is vital for the industry’s growth and resilience.
Collaboration, Gender Diversity, and Progress: Julie Kowalski on Advancing Cannabis Science
December 10th 2024In this interview with Cannabis Science and Technology, Julie Kowalski, an experienced analytical chemist, discusses her path into the cannabis industry, starting with early work in gas chromatography. Kowalski reflects on her perspectives as a female scientist, highlighting biases she’s experienced and the benefits of gender inclusivity in the cannabis space. Greater unity and professionalism could benefit the industry as a whole, she explains. She also encourages collaboration and more women in leadership positions in order to build a stronger scientific community, and also urges women to advocate for themselves, noting that women in cannabis face unique obstacles but often demonstrate consensus-building strategies and solutions.
Gender Diversity and Innovation in the Cannabis Space: Insights from Tess Eidem, PhD
December 9th 2024Cannabis Science and Technology sat down with Tess Eidem, PhD, PCQI, member of Saturn Scientific, LLC, to discuss her journey from antibiotic research to cannabis microbiology and her observations throughout her career. Dr. Eidem highlights challenges women face in this male-dominated industry, including limited representation in leadership roles and frequent experiences of bias and discrimination. She emphasizes the importance of gender diversity in fostering innovation, improving product safety, and addressing women’s health needs in cannabis applications. Her advice to women scientists is to build strong professional relationships and carefully evaluate work environments to advance their careers in this evolving and often challenging space.
