Karen L Locker

Papers

Total Citations

188

H-Index

About

Karen L. Locker is a pioneering figure in bioanalytical chemistry, best known for her transformative work in high-throughput drug discovery methodologies. Her research focuses on automating sample preparation and analysis to accelerate pharmaceutical development, particularly through the miniaturization and robotic integration of protein precipitation assays. Locker’s seminal 2000 paper, “Higher Throughput Bioanalysis by Automation of a Protein Precipitation Assay Using a 96-Well Format with Detection by LC−MS/MS,” has garnered 119 citations, establishing a gold standard for rapid, reliable drug-level quantification in plasma. By redesigning traditional assays into a 96-well plate format and employing robotic liquid handling, she dramatically increased throughput while maintaining analytical precision—a critical advancement for early-stage drug screening. Her complementary work on partition coefficient determination (69 citations) further streamlined physicochemical property assessment, enabling faster lead optimization. Locker’s contributions have had a lasting impact on bioanalytical efficiency, reducing manual labor and sample volume requirements while enhancing reproducibility. Her methodologies remain foundational in modern pharmaceutical laboratories, empowering researchers to process hundreds of samples daily with minimal error. For students and scientists entering drug discovery, Locker’s work exemplifies how thoughtful automation can bridge the gap between analytical rigor and industrial-scale productivity.