Reba Gates
About Reba Gates
Reba Gates serves as the Quality Director at the Center for Cellular Engineering at the National Institutes of Health, where she has worked since 2019. She has extensive experience in quality assurance and regulatory matters across various organizations, including significant roles at Parex USA, Elan Pharmaceuticals, and Alcon.
Work at National Institutes of Health
Reba Gates serves as the Quality Director at the Center for Cellular Engineering within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. She has held this position since 2019, contributing to the organization's mission for five years. In her role, she acts as a subject matter expert in quality and regulatory matters, supporting both research and development (R&D) and manufacturing processes. Gates has implemented a system that significantly reduced the time required to close Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs) from a range of 6-12 months to just 30 days for cases that do not necessitate capital expenditures.
Education and Expertise
Reba Gates holds a Master of Science degree in Medicinal Industrial Chemistry from Clark Atlanta University, which she completed from 1989 to 1993. She also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the same institution, studying from 1977 to 1982. Additionally, Gates completed the DARCOM Intern Training Program at Red River Army Depot, where she received certification in Quality & Reliability Engineering from 1982 to 1983. Her educational background provides a strong foundation for her expertise in quality assurance and regulatory compliance.
Background in Quality Assurance
Reba Gates has extensive experience in quality assurance across various organizations. Prior to her current role at NIH, she worked as a Quality Assurance Manager at Parex USA, Inc. for seven months in 2001-2002. She then served as a Senior Quality Assurance Engineer at Facet Technology from 2006 to 2008. Gates also held the position of Quality Systems Analyst III at Elan Pharmaceuticals from 2002 to 2006. Her diverse background in quality assurance roles has equipped her with the skills necessary to develop and maintain quality processes and procedures.
Professional Experience in Quality Systems
Throughout her career, Reba Gates has developed and maintained quality systems that facilitate the transfer of technology and products from R&D to manufacturing. At the Center for Cellular Engineering, she created a validations program tailored for both R&D and manufacturing. Her previous roles include serving as a Senior Quality Systems Engineer at Alcon from 2012 to 2014, where she further honed her skills in quality systems management. Gates has also facilitated thorough investigations and corrective actions for international and domestic complaints using Root Cause Analysis and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).