Lab Matters Summer 2025 | Page 7

CAREER PATHWAYS

By Rudolph Nowak, MPH, senior specialist, Marketing and Communications

“ I think it is a nice dynamic for our staff to learn from these fellows what it takes to bring a method from basically an idea, a concept into actual laboratory practice. And I think our fellows and interns see the application of these methods and realize the seriousness of why we put so much emphasis on quality, why we put so much emphasis on trying to standardize and harmonize methods,” Buchweitz said.

A Fusion of Benefits

Buchweitz added that the fellows have brought a renewed energy to the laboratory and contributed to some rather significant advancements.

Fellow Zoe Rice; Kim Dodd, dean of Michigan State University’ s College of Veterinary Medicine; fellow Danielle Gregory and John Buchweitz, Nutrition & Toxicology Section chief at MSU’ s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; take a minute to pose at the laboratory.

Fellows and interns see the benefits of the Career Pathways in Public Health Laboratory Science program through networking, professional development and employment opportunities. But these early-career scientists are not the only ones benefiting. The laboratories receive tangible benefits, such as a fully funded extra set of hands in the laboratory and the possibility of tapping a project supply fund that supports laboratories hosting fellows.

The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory( MSUVDL) is also realizing less tangible program benefits as well.

“ We have the privilege of hosting these brilliant, curious people who want work in a diagnostic laboratory,” said Kim Dodd, dean of MSU’ s College of Veterinary Medicine and former director of the veterinary diagnostic laboratory.“ They’ ve been able to contribute significantly to some of our priorities as a laboratory.”

The MSUVDL is self-funded and run like a nonprofit or state laboratory. Therefore, additional staffing through fellowships and internships has been a way to employ university students or recent graduates with little to no impact to its budget since the Career Pathways program pays the program participants.

“ They are all intrigued.”

Fellows and interns work side-by-side with laboratory staff, interacting on the same benches and with the same instruments. The only difference is that interns and fellows are research- and development-specific with their activities. Laboratory staff are reminded about the Career Pathways program during monthly faculty meetings, and other sections of the laboratory are considering submitting proposals for fellowships and internships to APHL, according to John Buchweitz, Nutrition & Toxicology Section chief at MSUVDL

“ Staff are going to evaluate what it’ s going to be like for them to have a fellow come in and help them with their method developments and help advance their section and their technology. They are all intrigued,” Buchweitz said.

Buchweitz also sees laboratory staff benefitting from the exchange of new ideas and perspectives, while interns and fellows receive the benefit of learning from the experience of seasoned scientists.

The synthesis of fellows and staff can be illustrated through Fellow Danielle Gregory. Gregory’ s discussions with Dodd clarified the needs of the laboratory and what Gregory hoped to accomplish during her fellowship.

“( Dean Dodd) wanted research particularly in next generation sequencing to be a core part of the veterinary diagnostic laboratory in addition to the services that they offer their clients,” Gregory said.“ I feel like even just listening to how they use the different microbiology techniques and how they make decisions about cases taught me so much. The workflow is so different, and you never know what you are going to get. I feel there is a room full of microbiologists; there is so much experience, and they are talking about things that I have never heard of, or realistically, wouldn’ t be able to learn.”

Zoe Rice, another fellow, who attended this year’ s APHL annual conference, is expected to attend the America Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians conference, where she will have an opportunity to present in front of the US Food and Drug Administration( FDA) and other laboratories.

“ The work that she has generated, it is quite fascinating. I can tell you the higher ups at FDA are absolutely in love

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