Issue link: https://ahint.epubxp.com/i/574474
11 ASHI Quarterly Third Quarter 2015 My desire to be a healthcare professional stems from personal life experiences At a young age, I was exposed to the medical field through the interactions with my brother's healthcare team Astounded by the level of knowledge, empathy, and veracity, I aspired to pursue a career in the healthcare field After an exploratory year attending general science courses at the University of Alberta, I stumbled upon my niche: laboratory medicine I enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Science program in 2009 The program provided me with opportunities to study multiple laboratory disciplines and engage with professionals in clinical and research settings One of the areas of laboratory medicine that I rotated through in my clinical year was the histocompatibility laboratory This laboratory was especially interesting to me as I had known a high school classmate that received a heart transplant In my fourth year of university, I selected a research project in the histocompatibility laboratory at the University of Alberta Hospital I worked alongside Anne Halpin, Dr Luis Hidalgo, and Dr Patricia Campbell to measure the antigen density on HLA class I and class II single antigen beads and to investigate methods to incorporate those antigen densities in the interpretation of the patient's MFI values During the course of this research project, I was trained to perform an adapted staining protocol using monoclonal antibodies of varying titres and to acquire samples using Luminex © instrumentation As a result of this study, our laboratory adopted antigen density measurement as part of the pre-use testing quality control assessment for new bead lots to aide in analysis of antibody reactivity Two poster abstracts from this project were accepted for presentation at the 2012 ASHI Annual Meeting This experience was my introduction to ASHI and the world of transplantation including the complexity and challenges of current test methodologies I began my career in the histocompatibility laboratory shortly after graduation I was trained to perform Luminex © antibody assays, HLA molecular typing, and flow cytometric crossmatches for our solid organ transplant population Within one year, I began covering on-call duties in order to respond to urgent transplant matters during overnight and weekend periods In December 2013, our laboratory was undertaking a comprehensive update to our flow cytometric crossmatch (FCXM) method I was asked to participate in the team that was responsible for implementing new flow cytometry instruments, as well as many other updates to the current FCXM protocol We investigated the use of immunomagnetic™ cell depletion to improve the purity of our lymphocyte cell preparation with the goal of increasing the sensitivity of our FCXM In addition, we moved from a tube-based FCXM staining procedure to a 96-well plate method using a vacuum aspirator for wash steps I was directly involved in performing the bench work to compare these methods as well as to analyze the results I also initiated many of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for these new protocols and trained fellow technologists Personnel competencies and technique were evaluated using the training checklist I created I enjoyed working as part of this implementation team and was not afraid to look to my laboratory mentors to receive feedback regarding the method and to discuss ideas and proposed changes Working on a large project like this one re-enforced the importance of ensuring our procedures meet all standards and exceed the expectations of the programs and patients we serve Our poster abstract was accepted for the 2013 ASHI Annual Meeting and I was excited to have the privilege of joining several of my co-workers and directors in Chicago for the presentation As a result of my hard work on this flow cytometer implementation project, I was asked to continue on as a "flow super-user" in our laboratory This role includes ongoing high level maintenance and trouble-shooting of the instruments, training new staff, monitoring daily calibrations, and adjusting instrument settings I also continue to adapt and develop SOPs for our flow cytometry methods I have continued to learn more about the theory of flow cytometry and gain insight on this technology and its role and utility in transplantation by attending any related continuing education opportunities Although I am still early in my career, I have volunteered as an HLA representative on laboratory committees My role on the University of Alberta Hospital Safety Committee is to identify and discuss safety issues with peers and determine appropriate solutions to mitigate risks and enhance the safety of our laboratory environment I have also joined the Laboratory Education and Resource Network (LEaRN) for Alberta Health Services Together, we organize and communicate learning opportunities to provide laboratory personnel with access to a variety of multi-disciplinary continuing education initiatives Last year, I organized a presentation with our organ procurement program to educate laboratory staff about transplantation beyond the walls of our laboratory and their involvement in the donor and recipient experience E D I T O R I A L Congratulations to ASHI's Rising Star Award Winner Read her Winning Essay Deanna N Manna, BSc, MLS