People Behind the Science: How Operations Powers Discovery at Wistar

Pete Scarpati, vice president of Operations, discusses the role that Operations plays in helping Wistar advance biomedical science.

Can you give me an overview of your department and what it comprises?

When I first started here in 2017 we were known as “Facilities,” which was made up of three parts: Security, General Services, and Building Maintenance. In 2020 I took over as director of Facilities, and in 2021 we incorporated Science Administration; that’s when we became “Operations.” So today, those are the four pillars of our department. We cover everything from food services, shipping and receiving, audio-visual (AV), security, building maintenance – things like electrical, HVAC, plumbing – and then science administration, which is a big one.

What does Science Administration cover?

Science Administration is now Laboratory Operations and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS). We have an EHS manager who takes care of safety – chemical storage and handling, enforcing safety rules – and we have a biosafety officer who makes sure researchers and their staff are adhering to policies and procedures. We also oversee the common use equipment, which encompasses more than 250 pieces of equipment that everybody uses, like cold rooms, -80 freezers, centrifuges, PCR machines, and other equipment. This is equipment that is purchased, owned and managed by Wistar. We also oversee the boards and committees that make sure we’re operating safely and ethically. As you can see, Laboratory Operations and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) has a broad scope. It supports all the labs, science, and ongoing expansion of the labs, so it’s a lot of coordination and work.

What does it take to bring in a new Primary Investigator (PI)?

The first step is to connect with the researcher to understand their needs, and that’s handled by Roma Maraj-Owen. She outlines the key personnel from the Institute who will work directly with the PI during onboarding and lab setup. We need to understand what lab equipment they’re moving, any biological material, or other specific lab needs. She works closely to confirm scope, timelines and next steps so their entry is smooth, and connects them with department contacts that can assist with everything.

There’s a host of people working to make it happen, both in Operations and beyond. From EHS and Biosafety to Legal and IT, there are a lot of individuals working behind the scenes to make sure everything is ready for their arrival.

Then there are the actual physical move requirements: scheduling movers, arranging their arrival at the Institute, managing the offloading of all the equipment and lab materials, ensuring that everything gets where it needs to go. And because we’re in the city, it’s a bit more complicated because you can’t just pull up in an 18-wheeler and expect to unload.

I’m very lucky to have such a great team, because they handle a lot of the details to the point that I don’t have to worry. They just get it done, so it’s a very smooth process. We’ve learned over time how to improve the process, and where the pitfalls might be, but we’ve really reached a point where it works very well.

There’s been a lot of renovations over the past few years. How do you manage the renovations while supporting the ongoing research?

Most renovations completed over the last two to three years were handled by outside contractors, but we are very involved before and during their time here. We receive plans before contractors arrive and then our team disconnects and stow all electrical lines so they can come in and work. Same with plumbing – we set it up so they can come in and hit the ground running. Usually, we schedule potentially disruptive work in the off hours – early morning, late at night – and coordinate with any labs that might be impacted. In most cases, staff don’t even know we’ve been managing a construction project. One thing I hear from contractors is that we’re easy to work with, which is really fulfilling. It benefits us and the contractor to have a strong relationship.

From a coordination standpoint we use a centralized calendar system called TeamUp that gets shared among our entire team. We know when deliveries are coming, when contractors will have extra people here, when they’ll use the loading dock, so everyone is aware of when and where things are happening. EHS holds regular security briefings to stay ahead of any safety or maintenance issues so that we can help when needed.

What’s the largest infrastructure need for labs that people may not normally think about?

I would say it’s probably power, then HVAC. Nobody wants to lose power in the middle of an experiment. Throughout the facility we have emergency outlets, which are red, and we have regular outlets. Red outlets have emergency backup power in case our main power goes down. Any equipment plugged into red outlets will remain on in the event of a power interruption. We also have redundant power feeds from PECO, our energy supplier, so if one power source goes down, the other line can cover the entire building.

If both power supplies go down, we have an emergency generator that kicks on, and within seven seconds, it powers up anything that’s plugged into a red outlet. We also have what’s called uninterrupted power supply, or UPS. That’s all battery powered. If all our power supplies, including the generator, go down, the UPS will provide power to the most critical equipment. That includes computers running processes that cannot be interrupted. There could be a computer in the middle of a 24-hour run, and 12 hours into the experiment. If power goes down, 12 hours of work is lost. In those instances, the UPS keeps it powered at all times, even if all the other power supplies are offline.

Once every year, we perform a load test on the generator to make sure it’s functioning optimally. We do this in coordination with our annual Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) Facility recertification, which has stringent requirements. The BSL-3 Facility has its own unique exhaust and filtration system separate from the rest of the building, and we certify that every year. We cut the power and ensure the generator starts and provides power throughout the building. Typically, we run that test at 4 a.m., to ensure everything is functioning, and by 7 a.m. nobody knows it’s been done.

What do you consider your favorite part of the job?

One of the best things is seeing how well this team operates and how we all work together. The other rewarding thing is witnessing our accomplishments. 2025 was a tremendous year for us. We expanded to 3675 Market Street, we finished renovations for the Center for Advanced Therapeutics, we renovated the finance suite and lab space on the third floor. Completing those major projects is so rewarding and a shared achievement. It amazes me how much we can get done.

And that work doesn’t stop—we’re renovating more lab space on multiple floors. Long term, there will likely be more renovations and hopefully we will continue to expand. Our construction projects have supported the Institute’s growth to more than 40 PIs. I always tell people, I don’t cure cancer, but I help support all the people that can cure cancer. We’re all doing a job to help them accomplish that goal. It makes you feel good at the end of the day knowing that you’re making a difference.