Robin Webster
Technician, Clinical Research
Question: How long have you been with HonorHealth?
Answer: I have been with HonorHealth for 8 years
Q: At what point in your early life did you decide you wanted to go into a career in research?
A: The idea of pursuing a career in research became real to me when I began an undergraduate work-study position in a biochemistry laboratory at the University of Massachusetts. It had never occurred to me before, but the idea that I could make a living doing something fun, like conducting experiments, was a personal revelation. I never looked back and went on to pursue a long career in research.
Q: What is a work-related accomplishment you are proud of?
A: One of my habits at work is to constantly monitor the occurrence of laboratory-related errors and come up with possible fixes. Years ago, I developed a simple solution to help infusion staff better understand the sometimes-complex array of blood collection tubes laboratory staff would hand them for patient visits. Using PowerPoint and a printer I created paper templates for staging the tubes by order of draw, time point, and temperature. Infusion readily adopted the templates, helping to reduce the number of errors.
Q: Why is it so important to encourage younger and diverse groups to pursue a career in research?
A: I believe researchers, as a group, should reflect the communities their discoveries are meant to serve; otherwise, we risk developing cures and treatments that may only work for a subset of patients. Encouraging students and young adults from all walks of life to consider a career in research should therefore lead to better science and treatment outcomes.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself?
A: My family, like so many, has faced cancer several times. Knowing that I am helping to develop more effective treatments, however small a role, brings personal and professional meaning to the work I do at HonorHealth.
