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3 weeks ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
Root cause analysis plays a pivotal role in quality management, yet many analytical labs struggle to apply it effectively. When done well, it drives lasting improvements and prevents repeat issues—but common missteps can derail the process. In this Q&A, laboratory quality expert Brenda Shalloo shares her perspective on how labs can move beyond surface-level fixes and address deeper system flaws.
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3 weeks ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
Laboratories drive scientific discovery and innovation, but they also consume far more energy than typical commercial buildings. As institutions, companies, and research organizations intensify efforts to reduce their environmental footprint, labs have emerged as essential targets in the global decarbonization conversation. Sustainability initiatives in the lab often focus on obvious contributors: single-use plastics, water consumption, or energy-intensive equipment.
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1 month ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
Managing labs across multiple locations comes with no shortage of complexity—but it’s often the human element that makes the biggest impact. In this Q&A, Kelly Sullivan, PhD, global director of operations and labs at CIC, shares how soft skills like empathy, humility, and clear communication play a critical role in leading successful multi-site lab teams.
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1 month ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
Influence is a critical tool for lab managers, but it’s not something you can demand or delegate. Whether you’re leading change, motivating staff, or presenting a business case to senior leadership, your ability to persuade hinges on trust, credibility, and communication. For lab managers juggling competing priorities across departments, mastering the art of persuasion can mean the difference between stalled initiatives and meaningful progress.
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1 month ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
In labs, the risk of serious accidents often develops over time, marked by early warning signs that can be easy to miss. These indicators—known as serious injury and fatality (SIF) precursors—are observable conditions or behaviors that signal elevated risk but frequently go unrecognized or unaddressed. Understanding how to detect and respond to these precursors is one of the most effective ways lab leaders can protect their teams.
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2 months ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
Laboratories serve as engines of scientific progress, yet they are also resource-intensive environments that produce significant waste and consume vast quantities of energy, water, and single-use materials. As awareness of environmental responsibility grows across the scientific community, laboratory leaders are under increasing pressure to align their operations with broader sustainability goals.
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2 months ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
In every laboratory, there are individuals who hold sway—not through formal titles or org chart positioning, but through trust, credibility, and proximity to daily work. Julia Means, lead general and occupational safety specialist at UC Davis, calls these individuals informal influencers. She argues these individuals can be a powerful force, along with formal leadership, in shaping a lab’s safety culture.
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2 months ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
Laboratories are uniquely complex environments where safety and security concerns intersect in critical ways. The convergence of chemical, biological, radiological, and physical hazards in a single workplace presents risks unlike those found in most other settings. For lab managers, understanding and addressing this complexity requires not only comprehensive safety protocols but also an evolving appreciation for security threats.
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2 months ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) has become an essential tool in drug discovery for characterizing biomolecular interactions with speed and precision. In this Q&A, Anthony (Tony) Giannetti, PhD, associate director, applications at Carterra, discusses high-throughput SPR (HT-SPR) and its newfound prominence in enabling more therapeutics to enter the clinic. Can you provide a brief explanation of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and how it works?
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2 months ago | 
labmanager.com | Lauren Everett
Choosing laboratory gloves isn’t one-size-fits-all. Find the right type for chemical, biological, thermal, and mechanical hazardsWritten byLauren Everett| 3 min readRegister for free to listen to this articleLaboratory gloves are essential personal protective equipment (PPE) in every lab environment. However, selecting the right pair of gloves is more complex than grabbing what's available on the shelf. A glove that works well for one task or hazard may be completely inadequate for another.
