Fixation on Histology Blog

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Fixation on Histology, NSH’s blog, features quick, easy to read articles on all aspects of the histotechnology field. Learn about techniques, troubleshooting tips, staining methods, laboratory safety, immunohistochemistry, management, inspections, and more, when you subscribe!

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In the realm of virology, the electron microscope stands as an invaluable tool, offering unprecedented ...
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Frank Walsh, a tech in the immunostains lab at the Mayo Clinic, had a mystery on his hands: The Mayo ...
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You have worked hard, paid your dues, and that coveted leadership position has finally come your way. ...
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Whether you're a seasoned histotech or a newbie, we've all been there – those moments when your samples ...
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Whether you're a seasoned histotech or a newbie, we've all been there – those moments when your samples ...
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In the intricate web of women's health, uterine fibroids emerge as a common but often misunderstood adversary. ...
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You’re excited. You’ve just received your brand new tissue processor and, like a kid unwrapping a present ...
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Henry Ford once said, “There are no big problems - there are just a lot of little problems.” When ...
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My name is Clare Thornton, and I was honored to be sponsored by NSH to attend the 2023 ASCLS Legislative ...
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Organizations like NSH, ASCP, and CAP are all dedicated to helping laboratorians advance their careers ...
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The booming pet food industry in the United States caters to the diverse dietary needs of our feline ...
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The workforce is currently grappling with a concerning shortage of histotechnologists, a situation that ...
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In the ever-evolving landscape of molecular biology and histotechnology, a paradigm shift is underway ...
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The National Society for Histotechnology is a proud partner of The American Society for Clinical Laboratory ...
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In their 2015 paper, Implementing Learning Organization Components in Ardabil Regional Water Company ...
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Peggy Robinson, CEO at Caza Health, LLC , a company focused on developing better diagnostics for women's ...
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Attending my first National Society of Histotechnology (NSH) convention in Baltimore was ...
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I have made my career in various research academic and CRO laboratories performing specialized hard tissue ...
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Each year at the NSH Convention, NSH and our sponsors take time to celebrate the accomplishments and ...
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Each year at the NSH Convention, NSH and our sponsors take time to celebrate the accomplishments and ...
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Each year NSH features a robust poster program at its annual convention . This past week during the ...
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The American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) is the only organization that certifies histotechnicians ...
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Histopathology is a necessity for a successful clinical trial. Histotechnologists are equipped with an ...
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Navigating the CAP checklist in preparation for an on-site inspection can be very overwhelming. Whether ...
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I attended my first National Society for Histotechnology convention last year in Reno, Nevada and had ...
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Precision medicine and other healthcare initiatives have resulted in the unprecedented need for “fit ...
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The Histologic Science Program at Goodwin University offers various courses required to become a histotechnician ...
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The time has come for one of your coworkers to leave the lab, and someone new has taken their place. ...
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As a histologist, when you say “I work in research” what does that mean? The reality? It can ...
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Historically, when the words tissue microarray have been mentioned it was considered as a “research only" ...
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CellBlockistry , a term that defines th e ‘the science of studying the chemistry and the ...
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To emphasize the importance of leadership in our practice, let us first define the difference between ...
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The market for health care has been in a state of flux for many decades. There have been constant threats ...
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As histology professionals, we have several roles we play in the laboratory, but one of the more challenging ...
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After graduating from my histotechnology program and passing my HTL exam in 2017, I remember feeling ...
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Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive dementia associated with an incompletely characterized ...
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Salary negotiation is a sensitive topic for both the employer and the job seeker. For example, say ...
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Those of us that gross are often called the eyes of the pathologists. This is because of how important ...
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You’ve probably seen at least one message from us (and by one we mean 10) that the 2023 NSH Convention ...
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As a 1967 high school graduate in rural South Dakota, interested in science and wanting a “job” where ...
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One of the biggest challenges in any lab is compliance, and with the amount of regulations and rules ...
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In the day-to-day work of a histotech, we are always troubleshooting--from processing to embedding, microtomy, ...
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"Quality is a choice. Choose to make it better.” – Ron Kaufman You make a million choices every ...
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Tissue microarrays (TMAs) are becoming increasingly popular in histology research and for use as a quality ...
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How many times have you heard “Keep your resume to one page”? Well, if you believed it then you definitely ...
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the healthcare sector and it’s impact is already having ...
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Volunteering your time in today’s world of burn out can feel like one more thing you don’t have time ...
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In 2010, I was featured in a local magazine for having a "double life" ( Westchester Magazine ). I worked ...
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We, histology laboratory professionals, through various actions behind histology—procedures and stains, ...
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Once upon a time, in a land far far away, (OK it was really 2012 in Milwaukee, WI) I decided to take ...
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Back in the 1700’s when Marie François Xavier Bicha, who is known as the father of modern histology, ...
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I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of the NSH Lee G. Luna Foreign Travel Scholarship in 2021, ...
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This is Part II of a two-part series on the evolution of multiplex methods. Read Part I . Using ...
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This is Part I of a two-part series on the evolution of multiplex methods. Over the last 5 years ...
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On a sunny day in Missouri, you might find Yongfu Wang, PhD, unwinding in his garden as he seeds, fertilizes, ...
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As we start the New Year, this is the time many of us reflect on what we want to achieve, and how we ...
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We, histology Laboratory professionals, have our own language that we use when we meet that no one knows ...
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Epoxy resins are used in conventional transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution light microscopy ...
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The most intimate form of recognition of another’s ability is to ask them for advice, and as a newer ...
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Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a useful tool in clinical diagnosis and used to localize specific antigens ...
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Anytime I hear a histotech talk about cutting nails it’s usually universally negative. It can be a battle ...
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Getting to Washington DC from Fort Worth, TX was a surreal experience. As a first timer, I was taken ...
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“Histotechs are neglected.” This was the emotional statement from Louie Cadao, Vice President of the ...
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In the Beginning…. The 1980s ushered in a persistent histologist shortage that created the foundation ...
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There are different embedding techniques utilized by histotechnology professionals, but no matter which ...
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During the 2022 NSH Convention in Reno, NSH had the opportunity to recognize the 2022 Award and Scholarship ...
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NSH is excited to continue its tradition of bringing you the leading voices of histology with three incredible ...
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As a proud member of the New York State Laboratory Leadership Consortium, consisting of senior laboratory ...
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Volunteering is often the first step towards active citizenship and can help strengthen people’s ownership ...
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What is Root Cause Analysis? I have been working in the histology profession for more than 40 years ...
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Today, immunohistochemistry (IHC) is an essential and routinely used ancillary tool in anatomic pathology ...
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Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable types of cancer. In 2020, it was estimated ...
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My histology lab onboarded polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for dermatomycosis a couple of years ago. ...
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You may have been advised in the past to contact your field applications specialist or sales rep when ...
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The Joint Commission established National Patient Safety Goals in 2002 to address patient safety in healthcare. ...
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As a former Program Director for a Histologic Science Program, I worked closely with students in the ...
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The Paradox of Clinical Students It’s a paradox histology lab supervisors are all too familiar with ...
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The ongoing pandemic, staffing shortages and the “Great Resignation” all highlight the importance of ...
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Over the years, I have encountered numerous techniques to soften and section nail specimens. This includes ...
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Dr. James B. McCormick – pathologist, scientist, inventor, educator, mentor, friend, and colleague! ...
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In the current atmosphere of workforce shortages and staff burnout, increasing efficiencies in the lab ...
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The National Society for Histotechnology has named Aubrey M.J. Wanner as its new CEO & Executive ...
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It is not news to anyone that in today’s world, we rely heavily on email as a primary form of communication ...
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It is extremely important to make sure your CAP Activity Menu is accurate and up to date. CAP standard ...
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I have been working in histology for over a decade, in various types of labs and settings. No matter ...
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Managing workflow within your lab has always been a difficult task, with many different competing priorities. ...
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The ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) recognizes the vital work of laboratory professionals in response ...
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In part 1 of this blog, I broke down some of the science behind the H&E and discussed a few of ...
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The beautiful color that the H&E stain produces is not random. We all know in histology, when staining, ...
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I’ve been involved in preparing for CAP inspections for over 20 years. Most of those years, I have been ...
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Aligning all the microtomes in your histology lab will increase your lab’s efficiency. You will immediately ...
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Advocacy for our profession is a true passion of mine. As a facilitator, I have worked with my team and ...
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My message today is short but sweet: Make sure your policy/procedure matches your practice regarding ...
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I hadn’t been to a doctor in a few (plus) years and developed a persistent, dry cough back in September. ...
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As our membership knows, histology and histopathology of biopsy samples are an integral part of disease ...
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If you have worked in a laboratory that processes dermatology specimens, you might be familiar with punch ...
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Histology laboratory for cancer analysis is being exercised in most parts of the world and is still in ...
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Microtomes are at the heart of histotechnology. We've blogged about them before, but not about how histology ...
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We've blogged about the histology workforce shortages and the Great Reassessment. Many hisotechs are ...
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The Modern Microwave versus the Traditional Tissue Processing Machine: Realize the Difference Tissue ...
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In a recent Histology Professionals Facebook post, a member posed this question to their group of peers, ...
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Since we published the first issue of the Journal of Histotechnology (JOH) in September 1977 ( https://www.nsh.org/about/overview/history-of-nsh ...
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It is no secret that hiring histotechnicians and histotechnologists is difficult at best and impossible ...
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Freida Loyce Carson . Encourager, friend, educator, colleague, a great and inspiring mentor! ...
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A histology manager for Roche, Andre Zamorano is the current Region VII Director on the NSH Board of ...
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Winter is arriving again, and in some parts of the world, with winter comes snowflakes. Those snowflakes ...
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Anatomic Pathology Laboratory is where cancer investigation is carried out. It is here, cytology and ...
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I shared in my previous post that histotechnology shortages have reached critical status and believe ...
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In a recent Histology Professionals Facebook post, a group member asked the question, “W hat is something ...
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There are several different classifications of silver stains a histologist can use in the lab. The silver ...
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Workforce shortages in the lab have reached critical status. During the 2021 Clinical Laboratory Legislative ...
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In August of 2021, Janice Cook attended the NSH Emerging Leadership Course. Below she shares her learned ...
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What to teach and how long to teach it is the question that many educators and professional development ...
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Each year, NSH accepts applications from Student Members for the opportunity to receive a $500 scholarship. ...
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Histologists play an essential role in the overall process and outcome for a patient receiving CAR T-Cell ...
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A Useful Glossary of Terms for Histotechnologists from the Biological Stain Commission (BSC) and a Bit ...
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Barcoding was developed to reduce manual data entry and errors that can occur as a result of manual work. ...
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Analysis of costs of clinical laboratory tests is as important as the quality indicators of the laboratory ...
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According to Elon Musk, the four most important traits that are critical for building a great team are: ...
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We know that Immunohistochemistry is the combination of three distinct fields—histology/pathology, immunology, ...
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Let’s face it. It’s a fast-paced world. It’s been reported that the average human makes 35,000 choices ...
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So you have spent time searching, screening and have a number of articles that you want to gather . However, ...
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Many early career scientists struggle with the task of screening, reading and collecting biomedical literature. ...
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There are many sayings involving time. Time flies. Time is money. Time heals all wounds. But we know ...
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“ Open access ”, the ability to access biomedical literature free of charge and with few restrictions, ...
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Reading the biomedical research literature can be a time-consuming and intimidating task, especially ...
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Drying slides in a microwave presents itself as a faster alternative to the traditional oven, but academic ...
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As a laboratory safety consultant, I have billed myself as “the Superhero of Lab Safety.” I did that ...
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ISO 9000, ISO 15189, CAP 15189, and GHS – that is a lot of acronyms! Whether you are new to the lab environment ...
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Having taught histology for over 30 years, one comment that I routinely hear is, “Everything looks-alike, ...
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Self-awareness is a management buzzword that we hear all the time. But what does it really mean to be ...
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Scientific progress is dependent upon solving complex problems and creating innovative solutions. When ...
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There are different factors that negatively affect the quality of samples in the histology laboratory ...
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This article is designed to help you with working with recruiters. There are a lot of recruiting firms ...
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The Giemsa stain is one of several hematology stains known as Romanowsky Stains which differentiate various ...
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Proper ventilation is required in histology laboratories to reduce the possibility of exposure to chemicals ...
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H&E staining is not able to specifically distinguish melanin from surrounding tissue, which is why ...
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Malignant melanoma (MM) remains the deadliest form of skin cancer. The current advances in patient cancer ...
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In a recent post we talked about Congo red , an amyloid stain with a pretty fascinating history, but ...
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The Journal of Histotechnology is the official industry journal of the National Society of Histotechnology. ...
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Amyloids are proteins that gather to form deposits in organs such as the liver or kidneys but are commonly ...
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Many people, not just histologists, have a morbid curiosity when it comes to medical oddities. This fascination ...
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Ten years ago, at 5.17pm on the evening of Sunday 22nd May 2011, the National Weather Service issued ...
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Why even bother to learn about troubleshooting? Wouldn’t it be more interesting to listen to one of the ...
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In a recent post , we talked about the Alcian Blue and Mucicarmine stains, which are both used for mucins, ...
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Bone marrow biopsies/aspirates are unique specimens in that a portion of each sample is sent to four ...
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Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It typically affects ...
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The histotechnologist plays a vital role in specimen processing from start to finish, and you may find ...
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There are several histology stains, such as Ziehl-Neelsen, that demonstrate acid fast bacteria. Acid ...
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Cryo-fluorescence tomography is an imaging modality that aims to bridge the gap between in vivo and ex ...
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Max Bielschowsky was a German neuropathologist at the beginning of the 20th century. Most of his life’s ...
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You may have heard the term companion diagnostic, but what actually is it, and how do companion diagnostics ...
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With the growth of immunotherapies, identifying biomarkers has become increasingly important. Traditionally, ...
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Like many of the other dyes currently used in histology, Alcian blue started out in the textile industry, ...
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PD-L1 or programmed death-ligand 1 is expressed as a transmembrane protein, which on regular cells, binds ...
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In 2015, as part of fulfilling my MSc degree, I completed a study, “Status of Histopathology Services ...
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As the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations have had to adapt the way they ...
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Cancer diagnosis and accurate selection of an appropriate treatment are an important result of a histologist’s ...
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A lot has changed in the past year for all of us in many ways. That includes how we manage our careers, ...
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In next week’s post we are going to talk about immunotherapy, specifically adoptive cell transfer (ACT), ...
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Melanoma, though not the most common type of skin cancer, is extremely dangerous if not caught early ...
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In our last post , we discussed the regulations that OSHA sets for laboratories to create and maintain ...
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In this two-part blog post series, we will cover the requirements for OSHA and CAP when it comes to creating ...
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Christine Carreira is a Research Assistant working in the WHO/IARC Classification of Tumours Group (WCT) ...
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Histotechnologists work on all types of tissue depending on the type of lab they work in and it is not ...
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NSH recently opened abstract submissions for our 47th Annual Convention, taking place virtually September ...
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Validation and optimization; both are important processes in histology, but they are not the same thing ...
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In immunohistochemistry, labeling refers to adding a “tag” to an antibody to aid in detection. There ...
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The College of American Pathology (CAP) is one of the accrediting bodies that ensures histology labs ...
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Tattoo ink is an exogenous pigment found in skin that has been tattooed but can on occasion be found ...
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Efficient and reliable laboratory services are essential to a functioning health system as quality laboratory ...
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This is the fourth iteration of the COVID survey. It received 364 responses. This is compared to 704 ...
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It is with great sadness that we share the news that Mrs. Hazel Dalton has passed away. Mrs. Dalton was ...
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After you have successfully pre-treated your IHC sample, it may be required to complete a blocking step. ...
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The new year is upon us (thank goodness!) and many of us are hoping for a very different year. Do we ...
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Formaldehyde, diluted down to the solution we know in histology as formalin, has been a popular fixative ...
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After 40 years of no fine increases, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration ...
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The NSH Board of Directors signed on to a coalition letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...
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Though a national certification for histotechnology is not required to work in the field, there are several ...
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CPT stands for Current Procedural Terminology. CPT codes are service codes that identify medical procedures. ...
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Electron microscopes use electrons as opposed to light to produce an image of the specimen being observed. ...
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Ergonomics is commonly defined as fitting the job or equipment used on the job, to the worker. It is ...
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Formalin fixation is essential for preserving the morphology of tissue, but formalin fixation is also ...
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Billie Strode Swisher….a dear friend, a colleague, an educator, a great mentor, a long successful career! ...
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Andi Grantham…Ken Urban…Lena Spencer…Billie Swisher These are some of the people we lost this year… ...
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Having an efficient tissue processing protocol is crucial for multiple reasons. With its upstream position ...
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We’re very happy to be ringing in 2021 and wanted to close out 2020 by sharing some of the highlights ...
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ASCP has recently published the results from their 2019 wage survey, the biannual evaluation of salaries ...
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Lena was a good friend and mentor to me for many years. I met her over 30 years ago when she was the ...
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No greater name stands alone in biology than that of Charles Robert Darwin. Born in Shrewsbury, England ...
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“What is glyoxal?” If you ask most histotechnologists, they will look at you blankly, unless, of course, ...
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As you know if you’ve read our previous post on regulatory agencies for the histology lab , OSHA is ...
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If you are planning on taking the HTL exam, you will need to be familiar with enzyme histochemistry. ...
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Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence are today becoming routine and a necessity for pathology ...
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While patient care is still the primary goal of any histology lab, efficiency has increasingly become ...
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Histology labs have a pretty large environmental footprint, from the water we consume, to the waste we ...
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If you work in a CAP accredited laboratory you must be able to demonstrate competency for any individuals ...
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Like many before me I had an eclectic route to histology by meandering my way through jobs that provided ...
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Hiring a histology professional presents a unique set of challenges like the ongoing shortage of qualified ...
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Many stressors plague us in the laboratory, with some leading to burnout, but there is hope in reducing ...
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The concept behind silver staining, the recognition that silver nitrate can stain organic substances, ...
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Regulatory bodies exist to ensure both the safety of the personnel working in the laboratory, as well ...
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Histology is full of negotiations, whether you’re negotiating with your boss for a better salary or negotiating ...
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Histotech of the Decade, Sponsored by Epredia: Lena Spencer Lena Spencer has played an active ...
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In my time of reflection in the past few days concerning the passing of my dear friend Ken Urban, I had ...
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When the Coronavirus hit this past Spring, histologists were understandably curious whether additional ...
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Nuclear bubbling in histology refers to when nuclear detail is lost and nuclei appear “smudgy”, for lack ...
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Every office has that colleague who leaves their food in the fridge, or cup on their desk, a little too ...
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Aldehydes The most common type of fixative used in histology is aldehydes. Aldehydes are compounds ...
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Generally speaking, there are only two methods employed for identifying antigens with a fluorescent dye; ...
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Humans have long understood the powerful pull of curiosity—in proverb and myth, curiosity kills the cat ...
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Change can be scary, but sometimes when it comes to the processes in our laboratory, change can make ...
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Quality control and consistent reproducibility of results in staining is essential for accurate diagnosis. ...
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Fire is very much in the news these days, as large portions of America’s West Coast are engulfed in devastating ...
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Though based in the United States, NSH is an international organization with many members in countries ...
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On Sept 11, 2001, a traumatic incident left an indelible mark on society and all of the lives that were ...
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You’re in charge of interviewing a potential new hire for your laboratory. You want to make sure that ...
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“Founded on pioneer research, supported by rare skill in execution, inspired by the highest ideals, this ...
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Like pretty much everyone else, NSH has had to make a lot of changes and adjustments this year due to ...
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Ocular pathology is a broad discipline that not only involves diagnostic or post-mortem evaluations; ...
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The third iteration of NSH’s COVID-19 Survey received fewer responses than the first two surveys, closing ...
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I decided to attend the NSH 46th Annual Virtual Symposium/Convention in the hopes of further growth ...
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Recently, I selected some immunohistochemistry cases from file to photograph, and I realized that some ...
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Histology often makes use of some unusual products you wouldn’t normally think of as laboratory materials. ...
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For most dog owners, the quality of the food, toys, chews, and treats their canine best friends put in ...
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According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, Mohs surgery is considered the most effective technique for ...
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Carnoy’s solution is one of the older fixatives you’ll find in histology, with first publication in the ...
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A few weeks ago we asked some of our histology students to write about how COVID has impacted their histology ...
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Hazardous waste is a popular topic here on Fixation on Histology. We’ve had posts covering the difference ...
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A quick introduction about myself: My name is Chanda Renee Harris. I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree ...
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I have been asked the same question many times these past few months; what is the job outlook for histology? ...
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FISH is a technique that uses a fluorescent labeled probe that attaches to a complementary DNA sequence ...
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You hear from me every year (whether you realize it or not) about why attending a face-to-face meeting ...
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In order to balance the requirements for the Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) across all technologist ...
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Today’s post is all about jars, specifically the jars you encounter every day in your histology lab. ...
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NSH asked our student members to share their experiences during COVID-19. How has COVID-19 impacted their ...
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Over the last 50 years, the histology laboratory has witnessed countless technological advances in the ...
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Apoptosis put very simply is cellular suicide. It is the natural process the cells in your body undergo ...
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In May, NSH started a survey project with the aim of determining how COVID-19 had impacted employment ...
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Fixation is an essential step in the histology process that preserves the tissue and makes the tissue ...
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Special stains are performed when there is something that is not adequately visualized with an H&E ...
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CAP, or the College of American Pathologists, is an accrediting body for laboratories. Their inspections ...
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On May 11, 2020 NSH published a survey to our histology community asking them to answer a few questions, ...
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Monday is Memorial Day, a day in the United States dedicated to honoring our veterans. Many within the ...
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At embedding many histotechs think it's best to, "squeeze out the fat" in order to cut the perfect section. ...
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The H&E stain is often described as the histologist’s bread and butter stain, as it is used so often ...
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It has been nearly two months since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US in full force, and histology labs ...
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In today’s post we will confront some of the common microtomy problems you could run into, and what you ...
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A little history! My first day in the histology lab, was November 7, 1960. I was so enamored with the ...
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We get a lot of questions about control tissue on The Block , NSH’s member community, and our Facebook ...
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Tomorrow, Wednesday April 22nd is Earth Day and while all of the social distancing measures put into ...
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If you had a crystal ball, what would your prediction be for the future of histology? That is the question ...
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This year NSH was able to award five Student Scholarships! We would like to congratulate all our winners, ...
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COVID-19: You ARE the HEROES! Here’s an update from outside looking in: It seems ...
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I am so honored to have been invited and witness the celebration of the first Latin America conference ...
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During the early stages of its spread in the United States you likely heard the majority of people referring ...
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Due to the recent outbreak of Covid-19, more and more people are working from home. This may not be possible ...
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With everything from the gym, to bars and restaurants closed for Covid-19, you may find yourself at home ...
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Some women give so much to this amazing profession. One of these remarkable women was Cheryl Crowder. ...
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The 2019 Coronavirus epidemic, provisionally called 2019-nCoV, was first identified in Wuhan, China, ...
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If you’ve been to the grocery store this week you’ve probably noticed the empty shelves. Items like hand-sanitizer ...
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March is Women's History Month, and to celebrate, NSH will be showcasing some of the trailblazing women ...
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NSH, since its inception in 1973, has been the leading provider of histology focused education, serving ...
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The water bath is an essential step in the histology process, which allows the paraffin ribbon to smooth ...
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For people looking into a career in histology, selecting a program can be daunting. Histology schools ...
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In previous posts we have talked about relocating for a job , but what if it’s not you that is relocating, ...
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Most of the ethanols used in Histopathology are Denatured Alcohols. Denatured alcohol, also called methylated ...
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We may never be able to completely rid ourselves of extraneous tissue, commonly known as floaters, in ...
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Perhaps you have championed a cause and in so doing, supported someone or something you believe in. In ...
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Troubleshooting is an essential part of working effectively in a histology lab. When something goes wrong, ...
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During my high school years, I loved the sciences and loved working with my hands. As most 18 year-olds, ...
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The NSH family has lost one of its great champions and leaders – Andrea Grantham. Andrea received her ...
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In 1997, the Air Force let me know that there were too many E-6 personnel in my career field, Security ...
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Has there ever been a time when there wasn’t a shortage of histotechs? It just seems to get more critical ...
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The ability to multiplex diagnostic assays is a distinct technological trend that was highlighted during ...
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In previous Fixation on Histology posts we have shared study tips for the exam and gave you step ...
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It was an extremely important milestone for the Journal of Histotechnology (JOH) to be accepted on ...
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GHS is an acronym for The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. Prior ...
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A common method of cleaning embedding molds involves putting them in the processor during the clean cycle. ...
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As Histotechnologists we are passionate about helping patients, even though we may not see them face-to-face. ...
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In a previous post , we talked about how to troubleshoot your lab’s air quality, with humidity being ...
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A medical error is defined as “an adverse event or near miss that is preventable with the current state ...
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On November 8th, NSH sent a letter to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield urging them to reverse plans to reduce ...
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In a previous Fixation on Histology post , we shared the answers to common FAQs about the HT/HTL Exam, ...
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The field of histotechnology is now mourning the passing of Sylvia Jackson Casey. She was born, educated ...
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The excitement and energy from attending the NSH annual convention this year was electrifying! It was ...
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OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a government organization created ...
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NSH's histology traveler, Dave Davis, is once again working on a project abroad; this time in Monrovia, ...
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No matter how tall you are it seems you’re never the perfect height for everything in histology to be ...
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H&E staining is a process. Learning the steps in H&E staining is essential for every new tech, ...
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The 2019 NSH Symposium/Convention was once again host to one of the Convention Committee’s favorite days ...
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First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Alexandra Bocicault Perez. I'm from Haiti, a beautiful ...
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All histotechnologists know that H&E, Hematoxylin & Eosin, is the gold standard of stains. It ...
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There are a lot of problems you can encounter in your lab that have less to do with the work you’re doing, ...
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I was very privileged to receive one of the scholarships through NSH to attend the Symposium/Convention ...
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There are so many things to consider when relocating and in my previous 2 articles, Misconceptions ...
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In this article, Clifford Chapman, recent recipient of NSH’s Leica Leadership in Teaching Award, shares ...
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In today’s histo-history, we want to celebrate Marie Francois Xavier Bichat, often credited as the father ...
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This year, thanks to the generous contributions from our sponsors, we were able to give more than $38,000 ...
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GEN.41770 of the CAP checklist requires that CAP accredited labs have “written procedures for handling ...
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This week, NSH attended the American Society for Clinical Pathology Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ. At ...
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Disruptive technology… everyone has heard this buzzword lately but what does it actually mean, and what ...
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The discussion about how to dispose of histology chemicals is one that occurs frequently, both on The ...
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Back in April, we asked our histology community to submit their stories of how they got into histology. ...
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Like any profession, histology is always changing to keep up with the technology and culture of the time. ...
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Biopsies of all shapes and sizes come with their own special set of problems, with small tissues particularly ...
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There are a lot of places you can go to find troubleshooting help in the lab. The Block , NSH’s member ...
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Over the past year and a half since Fixation on Histology got started we have had several posts about ...
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In keeping with the commitment to assure the continued competence of medical laboratory personnel, the ...
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Everyone is aware of the long-term health risks associated with Histotechnology, particularly from chemicals ...
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A recent article from the Miami New Times puts the average rate of HIV infection in Miami at 4 times ...
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Prior to the 2018 Symposium/Convention, Long Beach in 2002 was my last NSH S/C. That’s a lot of years ...
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According to the most recent salary survey conducted by the American Society for Clinical Pathology, ...
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Many of us who are new to histology or are new to immunohistochemistry (IHC) have deficits in our histology/pathology/IHC ...
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Invalid test results from next generation sequencing (NSG) and other molecular assays negatively impacts ...
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Xylene is a chemical commonly used in the histology lab as a clearing agent. Clearing agents are used ...
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The application of Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in the Mohs lab can allow for improved treatment ...
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In the first part of this series we discussed reasons for relocation and there were a few common ...
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The importance of large format histology as a method of assessing wide areas of tissue samples in cancer ...
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Everyone knows someone who looks at expiration dates as a friendly suggestion. It may be okay to eat ...
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Sometimes a histology laboratory shopping list can look more like your own home shopping list, with the ...
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Histology labs can sometimes get some out of the ordinary specimens. If you’re used to solely dealing ...
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Office ergonomics has become a popular topic across various types of professions as more and more people ...
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In a previous post, we talked about the importance of knowing the pH of your water in an H&E stain. ...
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Graduating from high school in 1993, I just knew I wanted to be a pediatrician, so I enrolled in college ...
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Water is essential in the production of an H&E stain. Water is not only used for rinsing and bluing ...
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NSH member, Linda Cherepow, was looking for a job in the histology field, when she got a call from a ...
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Histologists spend every day serving their patients, but many of our histologists now in the civilian ...
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At some point every year the Histonet ( http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ) ...
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NSH’s Histotech of the Year Award is the Society’s longest running award, dating back to 1975. Because ...
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My name is Donna March and I was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and my story of how I got into ...
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Recently on Histonet “Anna” asked how you go about advancing in the career of Histotechnology. This is ...
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Dave Davis is a man famous throughout the histology community for his international outreach. You may ...
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“We are having our inspection today.” My director’s voice echoed through the lab… A shudder went down ...
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In the South, there is a shortage of certified, talented histotechnologists. I would not want anyone ...
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Coral reefs are often referred to as the rain forests of the sea, not only due to their amazing diversity ...
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Two of the young histology students who received this year's student scholarships, share their stories. ...
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On Monday, April 22nd, the world will celebrate Earth Day, a holiday dedicated to the preservation of ...
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Reptiles have always played major roles in human culture, economics, and scientific endeavors. Reptile ...
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Relocation, it’s exciting, it’s scary, it’s necessary, and it’s an adventure! Everyone feels all of those ...
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Work/life balance. In today’s busy world it is a phrase we hear more and more. How do we balance our ...
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I was given a wonderful scholarship opportunity by NSH to attend the 2019 ASCLS Legislative Symposium ...
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Clara Pecorella is a Laboratory Technician/Product Specialist from Italy, working in the Innovation Department ...
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Go back in time… February 23, 2014, I started as a Laboratory Assistant in the Core Processing department ...
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How many instructors at one time or another, found themselves going down a rabbit hole? Whether taking ...
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Women in STEM. Over the past two decades it has become a common topic, and an area of focus in American ...
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I never planned to be a researcher. Many people could successfully argue that I do not do a lot of serious ...
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In this month's member spotlight, we interview Linda McDonald, S/C Poster Judge, and Chair of the new ...
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We saw a post on our Histology Professionals Facebook Page asking this question, and it generated A LOT ...
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According to CAP how long should you be retaining your records and materials? ANP 12500, the CAP checklist ...
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If you’re working in the healthcare industry you have probably heard the acronym PAMA, but what actually ...
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This is something new which will be of interest for histotechs. Dr. John Kiernan, an Associate Editor ...
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Immunohistochemistry is becoming an increasingly important aspect of histology. Though there is not an ...
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You always want to ensure that the equipment you are using is clean, but how often should you clean when ...
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My story revolves around a vision, to raise the standard of histotechnology in my motherland, the Philippines. ...
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On August 31st 2018, all Limited Licenses authorized by the New York State Office of Professions for ...
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Have you ever considered presenting a workshop, but thought, ‘Would anyone really be interested in hearing ...
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My forty year involvement in the National Society for Histology has brought me many benefits, with the ...
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In Part 1 of this series, Dr. Chiriboga discussed the growing problem in the research community, of ...
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What is the problem? In the last few years there have been numerous editorials and commentaries ...
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It’s that time of year again – New Year’s resolutions, fresh starts, etc. This is a very popular time ...
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NSH asked the histotechs on our Histology Professionals Facebook page to share their tips for others ...
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In Part 2 of this series, Meghan McDonald shares a few more of the most common special stains in histology. ...
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Special Stains are used in histology to identify specific organisms which are not normally distinguished ...
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On November 7, 2018, I attended a meeting of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC) ...
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What is CLIA, anyway? Those of us in the laboratory field hear about CLIA and CLIA regulations all the ...
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Donate to the Global Health Fund Celebrated on the Tuesday following the huge shopping days of Black ...
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In Part 1 of this series , the S/C poster presenters from Diapath, shared their research into the problems ...
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Introduction to Coverslipping Histological and cytological sections, which need to be examined ...
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Anyone in a histology lab knows that waste disposal is an important safety concern. In honor of America ...
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Frozen sectioning is a technique generally performed in a histopathological laboratory to obtain a rapid ...
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Thursday, November 8 th , is recognized as S.T.E.M Day, a day dedicated to encouraging children to develop ...
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For those of us who work inside all day, its common to want to bring a little bit of the outside in; ...
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How many times have you heard “Keep your resume to one page”? Well, if you believed it then you definitely ...
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Every year at NSH’s Symposium/Convention, NSH encourages attendees to give back to the host community ...
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You’ve let your certification lapse and are now trying to get it reinstated. The process can be confusing, ...
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Here are a few more tips on how we as individuals can show up with our capes on ready to use our super ...
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NSH is pleased to announce 2018’s awards and scholarships recipients. Awards and scholarships are given ...
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Despite the admirable resilience and strong workforce of the Filipino histotechnologists, thousands upon ...
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Every year at NSH’s Symposium/Convention, our volunteers prepare an event called Career Day, which introduces ...
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My Path to the HT: I completed the Histotechnician Program at Merritt College in Oakland, California ...
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Paraffin wax was originally developed in the mid 1800’s as a cleaner burning and more reliable candle. ...
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Are you allowed to listen to music in your lab? The question was posed on NSH’s Histology Professionals ...
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We will now take a look at the role leadership plays in supporting or creating a superhero team. ...
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A little back ground about me: My name is Paule Myriam Alphonse-Cham. I went through the Masters of Histotechnology ...
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For someone looking into the field of histology, certification can be a confusing topic. Do I need to ...
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The Journal of Histotechnology , NSH’s peer reviewed histology Journal, has added a new section to their ...
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In Fixation on Histology’s segment, Histology Highlights, we interview histologists from across the country, ...
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The art and science of preserving a once living object as close as possible to its natural state dates ...
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Earlier this year, NSH launched a Digital Pathology Certificate Program , a 22 credit, online course, ...
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Networking, some people call it “Not-Working” and for some they believe it is an integral part of their ...
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In Fixation on Histology’s new segment, Histology Highlights, we interview histologists from across the ...
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The application of large format histology in routine clinical diagnosis is reasonably well established. ...
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Ever feel like you are attempting to nail Jell-O to a tree while trying to organize, file and re-file ...
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Every year at the Annual Symposium/Convention, NSH encourages attendees to donate to a local charity, ...
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Histology Technicians play a fundamental role in the diagnosis of disease. Because of the “histotechnologist’s ...
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In this week's blog post, NSH member, Annie Allen, shares her experience attending NSH's Mohs Technician ...
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When I first started training in my current lab, I remember a doctor asking me, after I explained what ...
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This Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained section of a fetal foot, obtained from another products-of-conception ...
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In 2017 I was asked by a dermatopathologist to join him on a trip to Nepal. Our task was to assess the ...
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It all started with a complaint from our IT Systems Analyst regarding the ever-growing size of our digital ...
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I had been working in Histology for over 10 years when my husband and I decided to start our family. ...
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Each year, NSH awards five scholarships to student members of NSH, who are currently enrolled in a NAACLS ...
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Prior to my retirement, I worked for about 25 years in pharmaceutical laboratories, which handled various ...
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January 26, 2018 was an unusually warm day in St. Louis. We were amid our January thaw, when I received ...
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