From Advocacy to Action | Nominations Deadline Extended | Apply for ASCLS Awards and Scholarships | ASCLS Volunteer Opportunities | Last Chance to Attend the 2025 Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference | Upcoming Events | and More
From Advocacy to Action: Generating Momentum Moment by Moment
ASCLS-Montana President-Elect Anne Tate has been reflecting on how we can transform advocacy into a powerful movement. There are pivotal moments that can ignite this kind of change, and for her, one such moment was attending the annual ASCLS Labvocate Symposium in Washington, D.C.
On October 1, 2024, she returned to the Labvocate Symposium, and once again, she was deeply inspired. Her respect and admiration for the legislative process has grown tremendously through these experiences. Each interaction at the symposium reinforced the vital role we all play in shaping our healthcare and the landscape of clinical laboratories. Keep reading.
Nominations Deadline Extended
Submit Nominations for National Positions by January 27
The Nominations Committee is seeking qualified members interested in serving in an elected national position (term to begin on June 12, 2025). If you or someone you know should be nominated, contact Nominations Committee Chair Tripat Kaur by January 27, 2025.
- President-elect (three-year commitment, automatically succeeding to President and Past President)
- Secretary/Treasurer (one position, three-year term)
- Director (three positions, three-year term)
- Judicial Committee (one position, five-year term)
- Nominations Committee (five positions, two-year term)
Learn more about each position’s eligibility requirements and duties.
Apply for ASCLS Awards and Scholarships
Want to know how to get a warm fuzzy during this cold and snowy January? Nominate a worthy member for an ASCLS Award! Recognizing a member for their valued work in ASCLS and the laboratory profession is a great gift to give to our colleagues.
The Awards Committee has been hard at work this year, making efforts to align awards with the strategic pillars of community, knowledge, and advocacy. Several amendment proposals were recently sent to the ASCLS Board of Directors for consideration.
As President Tille indicated in her update on January 10, there are many existing awards that have a deadline of February 15, but some of the due dates will be pushed back to March 15.
The following awards still have a deadline of February 15:
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Scientific Research Award
- Theriot Award (for media and equipment development)
The following award deadlines will be delayed until March 15, pending discussion and approval by the board:
- Ascending Professional Leadership Award
- Developing Professional Leadership Award
- State Society Website Award
- State Society Publications Award (for both web-based and print publications)
Very closely following, there are even more ways to recognize our members, many with an April 1 deadline. These can be accessed through the Awards and Scholarships webpage.
If you have any questions or suggestions that you would like to share with the Awards Committee, please email awards@ascls.org or Chair Toula Castillo.
Scholarships Available for Undergraduate and Graduate CLS Students
The Alpha Mu Tau Fraternity and ASCLS Education & Research (E&R) Fund, Inc., support the advancement of medical laboratory professionals through graduate and undergraduate scholarships for clinical laboratory science students. Applicants for all scholarships must be ASCLS members. Applications are due by March 1.
ASCLS Volunteer Opportunities
Currently ASCLS is looking for professionals who wish to provide their creativity, energy, and passion to our mission. Volunteering for ASCLS is a great way to build your professional network and empower our profession. Additionally, organizations like the Mayo Clinic report that volunteering can provide us with a sense of purpose, teach us valuable skills, and can even improve our physical and mental health. Learn more.
Last Chance to Attend the 2025 Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference
Registration Closes Next Thursday
The all-virtual Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference (ELMC2) is designed specifically for medical laboratory professionals to help you prepare for and thrive in management roles. Save your spot by January 23.
ELMC2 provides two days of programming (live and streamed for up to 30 days after the event), up to 20 hours of P.A.C.E.® credit, networking events, access to an attendees-only online community, and follow up programming expected to take place 6-12 weeks after the conclusion of the virtual conference, as well as special meet-ups at the ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting in June.
Get real-world advice from experienced medical laboratory leaders to help you solve your stickiest problems. Program sessions include:
- Updates to CLIA Personnel Requirements
- Building a Cohesive Lab Team Through Communication and Conflict Resolution
- Pathogens and Betrayal: When the Threat is Inside the Laboratory
- “We are on Day 103 with No Patient Harm!”: Human Performance Strategies to Achieve a Highly Reliable Laboratory (HRL)
- Negotiating New Laboratory Equipment Contracts
- And more!
Discounted group registration rates are available for as little as $150 per person. For group registration, complete this form.
Join Over 500 Clinical Laboratory Educators at CLEC 2025
Sign up by Feb 14 and Save
March 6-8 | Atlanta or Virtual
Be part of the single largest gathering of clinical laboratory educators—the 2025 Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC), which will be held March 6-8 in Atlanta. Save $60 when you sign up by February 14.
CLEC is the most impactful annual gathering for faculty, administrators, directors, advisers, and all in medical laboratory education. The program offers over 40 educational sessions that will explore new ways to enhance the student learning experience, demonstrate innovative teaching techniques, solve program management challenges, and so much more. Browse a preview of the educational sessions that will be offered at CLEC 2025.
Just announced, the Closing Keynote will feature Rebecca Pope-Ruark, PhD, of Georgia Institute of Technology, and her presentation, Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Strategies for Well-Being and Vitality.
To provide you flexibility to participate in CLEC, you have the option to attend CLEC either in-person at the Westin Peachtree Plaza or virtually through the streaming device of your choice.
Upcoming Events
Mid-Year ASCLS House of Delegates Meeting
January 19, 2 pm ET | Virtual
ASCLS will hold its fifth annual mid-year virtual meeting of the House of Delegates (HOD) on Sunday, January 19, at 2 pm Eastern. The ASCLS House of Delegates will discuss some significant challenges and positions relative to ASCLS, policies, and procedures.
- Advocacy – This is important in light of all the bills, rules, and regulations that can potentially be on the docket for the 119th Congressional Session, such as items that can have a negative impact on patient care, patient care access to lab testing, and the medical laboratory workforce. The ASCLS Board of Directors has already begun work on an advocacy plan for 2025, and they value member thoughts and input.
- ASCLS Elections and Voting – The Election Taskforce has been working diligently to improve the policies and procedures for the elected positions on the Board of Directors and committees. They have also been working with the Bylaws Committee to ensure all items are in order for future elections. Again, member voice and input is critical during these discussions.
- Mission, Vision, and Values – The Board of Directors has been reviewing, streamlining, and revising these documents over the past several months and would like delegates to also weigh in on the clarity and relevance of who and what ASCLS does for the profession, patients, other stakeholders, and medical laboratory professionals.
There are also items that will be coming from committees and forums, such as updated awards from the Awards Committee, Body of Knowledge progress, DCLS Oversight Committee, Bylaws Committee, etc. There are other taskforces and committees that are winding up some things that may also be on the agenda.
Delegates who began their term with the first session of the 2024-2025 House of Delegates on July 12 received information about how to attend the mid-year meeting. The focus of the Mid-Year House is communication and discussion of critical issues. All major decisions or votes by the HOD relative to major policies or procedures of the organization occur at the Joint Annual Meeting in June. The mid-year House of Delegates is the time when the Board of Directors and others will bring forth significant information for your consideration and input in preparation for actions that may occur during the June HOD.
PRISM: Pride · Respect · Inclusion · Support · Momentum
The ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Council (DAC) invites you to participate in the fifth annual PRISM: Pride · Respect · Inclusion · Support · Momentum. Join medical laboratory friends and colleagues as we celebrate and ignite discussions regarding diversity in the profession and the inequities in our healthcare system.
Plan to join us for the following events:
- Book club: Dismissed: Tackling the Biases That Undermine our Health Care, by Angela Marshall and Kathy Palokoff, will kick off this week and run through Medical Laboratory Professionals Week in April (about 14 weeks total).
- Movie Night: The Healthcare Divide Documentary by Frontline and NPR, Tuesday, January 21, 7 pm ET
- Candid Conversation with Kelcey Harper and Christen Diel, Monday, January 20, 7:30 pm ET
- Dynamic Discussion with Julie Cooper: Elevating the Laboratory through Clinical Lab 2.0 – Why Labs Should Adopt it and How it Impacts Health Disparities, Wednesday, January 22, 7 pm ET
All events are held virtually through Zoom and are free to attend; registration is required.
Webinar – A Look to the Future: Artificial Intelligence Frameworks in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
February 5, 1 pm Eastern | Virtual
The raw materials of the healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) revolution are scattered all around us. However, within the laboratory environment, a generalized lack of AI integration and regulation has led to overall uncertainty. This session will cover topics, such as the need for common regulatory, ethical, educational, and institutional frameworks for AI integration and the practical facilitation of trust and transparency as AI continues to emerge within healthcare.
Presenter: Melody Boudreaux Nelson, DCLS-NRCC, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, Assistant Clinical Director for the Core Laboratory and Assistant Clinical Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center
This webinar is free for ASCLS members ($10 for non-members). Preregistration is required. If you can’t attend live, register anyway—those who pre-register will receive access to the webinar recording.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the current AI regulatory environment.
- Identify gaps in common regulatory, ethical, educational, and institutional frameworks for AI integration.
- Discuss the potential development of inclusive, independent entities when approaching AI integration in healthcare.
Instruction Level: Basic
ASCLS is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.
Save the Date: 2025 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting
June 8-12 | Sacramento, California, or Virtual
Plans for the 2025 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) are well underway. Again this year JAM will offer flexibility with two attendee options—in-person and virtual. Registration opens in February.
In-Person Attendance: JAM will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center. In addition to the educational program, poster presentations, industry partner exhibits, and networking activities, you’ll also receive access to all recorded JAM educational sessions for 30 days after the event, providing you with about 50 hours of P.A.C.E.®-approved credit.
Virtual Attendance: You will have access to the nearly 50 educational sessions, either streamed live or recorded; industry partner virtual activities; virtual poster presentations; and virtual networking events. You will also have access to all recorded JAM educational sessions for 30 days after the event. You get to choose which sessions and events you want to attend live and which recordings you will view later when the time is right. Create a personalized JAM experience that fits your life.
Submit a Poster Presentation Abstract for the 2025 JAM by February 23
The 2025 JAM poster presentation abstract submissions are currently open. Make an impact on the future of medical laboratory science by sharing your research and case studies with peers from across the nation.
All posters will be showcased digitally (both onsite in Sacramento and via the meeting app). Submissions will be accepted from both in-person and virtual attendees. In-person attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the poster competitions for cash prizes. All accepted primary poster presenters will receive $100 off registration for the meeting. The deadline for abstract submissions is February 23.
Race to JAM Student Trivia Competition
Race to JAM is a national student trivia competition hosted by the ASCLS Developing Professionals Forum. Preliminary rounds are conducted over Zoom on Saturday, April 12, starting at 10 am ET.
The final two teams will go head-to-head in-person at the 2025 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM), held June 8-12 in Sacramento, California. The winning team will be recognized during the Awards Ceremony at JAM. Learn more.
10th Annual ASCLS Lab Week Run
Registration is now open for the 10th Annual ASCLS Lab Week Virtual Run. Step out of your labs and into your communities to help spread the word about the medical laboratory profession and have fun with friends and co-workers.
This virtual race can be completed any time during Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (April 20-26, 2025) and anywhere. Participants can walk, use a treadmill, run outside, or even ride a bike to complete the 5K distance (or 3.1 miles). Organize a group run with friends and family, or go solo.
Early Bird Pricing ends February 15. All proceeds go to scholarships that help medical laboratory professionals attend ASCLS meetings, advocate for the profession, and become future leaders in the field.
Thank you to our 2025 Lab Week Run Platinum Sponsors COLA, Greiner Bio-One, and SEKISUI Diagnostics.
Free CDC OneLab™ Resources
Webinar – Securing the Future: Exploring the Importance of Laboratory Biosecurity
January 29, 12 pm ET | Virtual
Laboratory biosecurity encompasses a set of measures designed to prevent the loss, theft, or intentional misuse of biological materials, technologies, and confidential patient-related information within laboratories and associated facilities. This webinar aims to provide participants with an overview of the critical strategies for safeguarding sensitive biological assets while ensuring the integrity and security of laboratory operations.
Attendees will examine contemporary examples of biosecurity lapses, gain insights into their implications, and review the essential components to develop an effective biosecurity plan. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with practical knowledge to enhance their laboratory’s biosecurity measures and foster a safer working environment.
OneLab Network Webinar Recordings
- Exploring Alternative Solutions for Laboratory Staffing – This webinar is about developing a medical laboratory assistant program and how the program responded to staffing challenges.
- Newborn Screening: System Frameworks and Quality Assurance – This presentation provides an overview of the process and system of newborn screening and outlines how CDC provides quality assurance and technical assistance.
- ISO 35001:2019 Biorisk Management for Laboratories – With the complexities of laboratory environments combined with emerging biological agents, it is crucial to have a comprehensive biorisk management plan in place.
- Lab Safety in the Age of AI: Evaluating Multimedia Options – This webinar explores artificial intelligence (AI) applications for laboratory safety content creation.
- Something Is Strange – Let’s Notify the LRN! – This webinar describes the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) and highlights the clinical laboratory’s role and responsibilities in initiating contact with their LRN.
About OneLab
The OneLab Rapid Education and Capacity-building Hub (REACH) is a laboratory education and training learning management system specifically designed and tailored for the needs of clinical and public health laboratory professionals. OneLab REACH supports the laboratory community by providing relevant and timely education and training resources.
CDC’s OneLab Network provides opportunities for education and training, as well as a space for collaboration between clinical, public health, individuals who perform or coordinate testing at non-laboratory sites, and CDC laboratory education and training professionals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Systems is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program.
OneLab™ and OneLab REACH™ are registered trademarks of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Clinical Laboratory Science Journal Seeks Manuscripts from DCLS Perspective
The Editorial Board for Clinical Laboratory Science is seeking manuscripts from the Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) perspective that focus on improvements made to patient care as the result of the intervention, action, and work of DCLS practitioners. These can be findings from projects that were completed as part of one’s academic preparation as a DCLS or improvements to medical laboratory science practice as part of one’s position. The Editorial Board is also seeking manuscripts from educational programs related to preparing DCLS practitioners.
For this first special edition of the journal, the Editorial Board will review submissions that are submitted by March 1, 2025.
If you have questions, please email CLSeditor@ascls.org .
New Episode of Off the Bench Podcast
Subscribe to the Off the Bench Podcast for discussions on scientific and not-so-scientific ideas in laboratory medicine. New episodes drop the last Friday of each month.
In the December 27 episode, Sophia and Doryan recap the best moments from Off the Bench in 2024. They reflect on standout episodes, share their favorite clips, and close with a blooper reel that’s sure to leave you smiling.
Subscribe to the podcast through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
Voices Under 40
Spotlight: Nicholas R. Steder III, MBA, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, DLM(ASCP)CM, Chicago, Illinois
Nicholas is currently working for Siemens Healthineers as their business development executive for chem/IA instruments, after working for three years as a point-of-care specialist. He has received several sales awards with Siemens, including the 2022 APEX Sales Award and the 2023 ACE ELITE Sales Award. Before moving into industry, he worked in an area lab director position, where he managed a centralized core lab and consulted for subsidiary labs across Chicagoland. Nicholas earned his DLM from ASCP while working as the laboratory director. He was responsible for holding his lab together and helping to develop COVID protocols for the hospital.
Nicholas became active in ASCLS via joining the planning committee for his first ASCLS-Illinois Annual Meeting. He said, “I had always been a member but was inspired by the president at the time and her dedication to putting on our state’s annual meeting. So, when I was asked to co-chair the Vendor Committee for the next year’s event, I jumped at the chance.” In his first year he booked 15 vendors to support the meeting, and the next year he got 20 vendors to commit. He increased engagement with the vendors by having the attendees fill out bingo cards to show they visited the vendors. Then COVID hit and Nicholas was ASCLS-IL president-elect. Read more.
ASCLS Voices Under 40 honors ASCLS members who have shown exceptional commitment to the Society, the laboratory profession, and their community at large at a younger age in their professional career. Each month we spotlight one of the shining voices who was selected from many nominations across the country.
Nominations are currently open for the 2025 Voices Under 40. Applications are due March 15.
Latest Jobs
Medical Lab Scientist
SEARHC SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium
Sitka, Alaska
Deputy Public Health Laboratory Director
Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS)
Washington, D.C.
Medical Technologist Generalist
Bethesda Hospital, Inc.
Boynton Beach, Florida
See more job openings on the ASCLS Career Center.
Local Events
ASCLS-Colorado Winter Seminar
January 24
Grand Junction, Colorado
ASCLS-Minnesota Winter Metro Area Scientific Assembly
February 27
Minneapolis, Minnesota
ASCLS-Central New England Clinical Laboratory Science Convention
March 17-18
Warwick, Rhode Island
ASCLS-Louisiana/Mississippi Bi-State Meeting
March 17-19
Lafayette, Louisiana
ASCLS-Missouri Spring Conference
March 31-April 1
Columbia, Missouri
ASCLS-Alaska, Oregon, and Washington Joint Spring Seminar
April 3-4
Virtual
Clinical Laboratory Collaborative Conference (ASCLS-Colorado and ASCLS-Wyoming)
April 3-4
Denver, Colorado
ASCLS-Arkansas Laboratory Conference
April 4
Little Rock, Arkansas
Florida Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Spring Symposium
April 5
Jacksonville, Florida
2025 ASCLS-Texas Annual Spring Conference
April 9-11
Corpus Christi, Texas
ColLABorate: Iowa Clinical Laboratory Conference
April 16-17
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
ASCLS-Idaho Spring Meeting
April 17-18
Boise, Idaho
ASCLS-Wisconsin Spring Meeting
April 22-23
Middleton, Wisconsin
ASCLS-South Dakota Spring Symposium
April 23
Brookings, Rapid City, Gregory, South Dakota or Virtual
ASCLS-Virginia Annual Meeting
April 25-26
Charlottesville, Virginia
Minnesota Clinical Laboratory Collaborative
May 1-2
Duluth, Minnesota
ASCLS-North Dakota Spring Symposium
May 8-9
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Key Dates
ASCLS House of Delegates Mid-Year Meeting
January 19
PRISM: Pride · Respect · Inclusion · Support · Momentum
January 20-22
Emerging Laboratory Managers Collaborative Conference
January 24-25