As laboratory professionals, we’re often focused on our critical role as part of the healthcare team in delivering results to providers. But, do we ever stop and think about the power laboratory data can have in the hands of the patients themselves? In this interview, Cherise Shockley, a diabetes social media advocate, describes her experience being diagnosed with an under-recognized form of diabetes and shares how her continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and laboratory test results have helped her take control of her disease and her life.

Whenever a new infectious disease enters the scene (or reenters, as in the case of measles), developing precise and accurate diagnostic tests as quickly as possible is critical. In this interview, Dr. Ben Bradley, ARUP medical director of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Infectious Disease Genomic Technologies, High Consequence Pathogen Response, Virology, and Molecular Infectious Diseases, describes various challenges in rapidly setting up and maintaining testing capacity for these kinds of diseases and why we need collaboration between academic, clinical, and public health labs.

Webinar: Emerging Viral Diseases: A 2025 Update for Laboratorians [https://arup.utah.edu/education/bradley-emergingviral-2025.php]; Measles by Real-Time PCR: A Rapid and Reliable Method for Measles Testing [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZdZDPv-oTw]

In this age of algorithms, how do we ensure clinical care is both science based and personalized? In this interview, Dr. Ryan Metcalf, section chief of Transfusion Medicine at ARUP Laboratories and University of Utah Health and associate professor of Pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, shares the story behind the new platelet transfusion guideline from the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB). He describes how the authors addressed patient-specific variation and the inherent uncertainty of scientific evidence.

Related Information:

• Platelet Transfusion: 2025 AABB and ICTMG International Clinical Practice Guidelines [https://arup.utah.edu/education/metcalf-platelet-2025.php/]
• JAMA® Article: Platelet Transfusion: 2025 AABB and ICTMG International Clinical Practice Guidelines [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2834703]
• JAMA® Clinical Reviews Podcast: Platelet Transfusion: Best Practice Guidelines [https://edhub.ama-assn.org/jn-learning/audio-player/18977738]