Vikor Scientific co-founder specializes in cutting-edge lab testing

Shea Harrelson likes to say she was born, raised and stayed in South Carolina. The Daniel Island Park resident has grown from her small-town roots in Marion, South Carolina, into an entrepreneur who formed one of the largest and most successful molecular and COVID-19 testing labs in the country.

 

Charleston-based Vikor Scientific, which Harrelson co-founded two years ago with her business partner, Scotty Branch, is now on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. 

 

“We are testing 10,000 to 12,000 people per day for COVID-19,” said Harrelson. “The numbers can bounce up or down by a few thousand each day so we have to be ready.”

 

Vikor provides medical diagnostic testing that identifies pathogens that are causing a patient’s infection, along with detecting their antibiotic resistance genes. Its cutting-edge DNA sequencing platform eliminates the need for multiple tests and days of waiting for a diagnosis. The company provides test results and personalized treatment recommendations from its pharmacy team all within 24 hours.

 

“We provide a rapid and accurate diagnosis and pharmaceutical guidance that helps doctors prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic for a patient’s infection,” said Harrelson. “It truly improves the patient’s outcome and it doesn’t get any better than that.”

 

In 2018, Vikor opened its first laboratory on Meeting Street with 12 employees. Within three months of testing its first patient samples, the company saw its volume doubling week over week. Earlier this year, the company moved to its new headquarters in the WestEdge complex, a biotech hub in downtown Charleston. 

 

“When we moved in April, COVID was just hitting hard. We had started validation studies for our COVID-19 test that was given emergency use authorization by the FDA, and were able to bring it to market shortly after,” said Harrelson. “We were already testing over 250 pathogens, so validating one more was easy and the timing just seemed right.”

 

The company had 40 employees working in the lab before the move, and hired over 80 more when they arrived. Vikor now boasts 253 employees, including a national sales force of more than 100, three locations in Charleston, and a recently opened lab in Philadelphia. Vikor is launching its new mobile testing unit with a site in Mount Pleasant and a mobile team that will travel to businesses that want to test their employees.

 

Being able to change patient outcomes is the most rewarding part of her job, said Harrelson. “When a patient calls and tells us they were able to get their life back because their doctor used our test, the whole lab stops and we cheer and celebrate because that’s what we do.” 

 

Harrelson spends her downtime enjoying the Lowcountry with her husband and three children. Their favorite activities are spent outdoors playing pickleball, boating, kayaking and fly fishing. 

 

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“I spent a lot of time here growing up and always loved this area,” she said. “And there’s something about Daniel Island; your blood pressure just drops when you come over the bridge.”

 

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