Dr. Nelson was the lead scientist in the design, development, and implementation of the current microfluidics-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform for oncology in the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory. The current panel tests for over 7,000 important mutations within 21 genes closely linked to the outcome and treatment of various solid and hematologic malignancies. The immediate goal of his work in the area of NGS oncology is to improve quality, turnaround time, logistics and workflow with the current pipeline as well as preparing for further developments in the rapidly advancing field. These efforts include developing tools that provide improved annotation capabilities for therapeutic relevance and clinical trials to in turn provide more value to clinical colleagues and patients. Expansion of the oncology NGS testing will include two major efforts: 1) technical advances to improve testing capability of minuscule biopsy samples, and 2) expanding the number of genes tested to support clinical research efforts at the University.