Here at Luminex, we take pride in how our products help deliver better clinical results for patients. To ensure that clinical labs get the very best products, we count on people like Apurva Chinchore, Manufacturing Engineer II. She joined the company’s Chicago location in 2018 and holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pune in India and a master’s degree in manufacturing engineering from the University of Missouri – Rolla.

Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?

A: My main focuses are continuous process improvement and design deployment responsibilities through development, validation, and market release. I get to work with any department that needs process improvement, which is what I love about my job. No day or project is the same. I analyze production data to spot trends, track variances, and solve bottlenecks. Any time a process changes or validation is made, I think about how it could affect the safety of the patient.

Q: Where were you before?

A: I had a contract industrial engineering position with GM. I visited plants in St. Louis, Fort Wayne (Indiana), and Michigan and helped improve their line balancing processes to move cars along the production line faster.

Q: What drew you to Luminex?

A: I had never worked in a medical device company, and I was really fascinated with the research and development side of the job. It was a great job description that suited my background. I feel proud to be part of a company that helps people obtain timely and confident answers and helps in patient care.

Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?

A: My dad passed away a year ago from kidney issues after being on dialysis for 3.5 years. The wait for a kidney transplant is long and the dialysis process took a toll on my dad and was overwhelming for the family. That’s a field I would really like to improve and help people.

Q: If you weren’t at Luminex, where would you be?

A: I always wanted to be a manufacturing engineer. But if I couldn’t be at Luminex, I might be back in India with my family helping them run their material handling business.

Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?

A: Not many people at the company know I have a twin sister. If she showed up here one day and just walked in, nobody would notice that she is not me!

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in Chicago on the weekend?

A: If it’s not too windy or chilly, I really like to go to Millennium Park with my friends and family. The summertime is full of events and the place is lively. You can walk along the shore of Lake Michigan.