PODCAST · health
Off the Bench
by ASCLS
Scientific and not-so-scientific ideas in laboratory medicine. We share ideas and talk nerdy.
Episodes
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The Importance of Being (Published) in the Clinical Laboratory Science Journal
In this episode, Sophia Chandrasekar sits down with Dr. Letycia Nuñez-Argote , Dr. Tara C. Moon, and Dr. Juan Ulises Rojo, to learn about the Clinical Laboratory Science Journal. The three are associate editors of the CLS Journal, and they share their advice and expertise on the importance of...
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Learning and Leading a Multigenerational Laboratory
Doryan and Sophia sit down with Stacey Robinson, Cherie Petersen, and Holly Covas to explore the multigenerational workforce in the medical laboratory. From communication styles and workplace expectations to work-life balance and generational stereotypes, the group discusses where differences can...
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Off the Bench Live: 2026 JAM Query Check!
Recorded live and in person at the 2026 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, it’s the return of Query Check! Hosts Doryan Redding, Sophia Chandrasekar, and Emily Woten take the stage once again for this Off the Bench game show tradition. Contestants Dr. Kathryn Golab,...
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Today's Top Hits in Public Health
Dr. Rodney E. Rohde, University Distinguished Regents' Professor and Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at Texas State University, joins Sophia and Doryan to discuss some of the infectious diseases currently making headlines: Hantavirus, Ebola and more. Drawing on more than 30…
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Conquering the BOC
Preparing for a medical laboratory Board of Certification exam? In this episode, Doryan and Sophia share study tips, memory tricks, and test-day wisdom to help you study smarter, not harder. Whether you’re taking the exam, supporting a student, or mentoring future laboratorians, this episode is...
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Chatting about Little Lab Learners: ABCs of Laboratory Medicine
In this episode, Doryan and Sophia are joined by Dr. Melody Boudreaux Nelson, Stephanie Whitehead, and Aaron Odegard, the amazing trio behind the children's book, Little Lab Learners: The ABCs of Laboratory Medicine. Tune in as we ask how the book came to life, what else they have planned, and…
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The Spectrum of Lab Science in Media
In a showdown to determine which TV show gets medical laboratory science right, who will come out on top? And even more entertaining, who ends up dead last? Join Sophia and Doryan as they break down scenes from The Pitt, Scrubs, and more, diving into how lab science is portrayed in media, and…
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The 2025 Wrap Up
Join Doryan and Sophia as they take a look at the stats for the 2025 Off the Bench Season, and share upcoming events for 2026. Happy New Year and see you all in March 2026!
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Can You Hear Me Now? Communication and the Clinical Lab
Scientific communication isn’t just about sharing data. It’s how laboratorians build trust, advocate for their profession, and protect patient care. In this episode, host Doryan Redding sits down with ASCLS President Kyle Riding, Past President Pat Tille, and Leadership Development Committee Vice...
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Scientific Serendipity: When Mistakes Make History
Malarial drugs gone purple, beer in the bladder, and a blood type no one saw coming—sounds like a night out gone weird, but it's actually laboratory science history! Join Doryan and Sophia as they dive into the serendipitous side of science that reminds us that progress often starts with the...
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Mapping the Future: A Fresh Look at the ASCLS Body of Knowledge
This month Sophia and Doryan are joined by Malissa Norfolk and Miles Tompkins to break down the freshly updated ASCLS Body of Knowledge, the essential roadmap of competencies and skills for today’s medical laboratory scientists. From building marketable skills and fueling passion for the…
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Loving the Lab with Heather Santaniello
In this month's episode, Doryan Redding and Sophia Chandrasekar sit down with Heather Santaniello (previously on JAM Query Check 2024) and talk about the importance of having stories to share with those in and out of the medical laboratory profession, as well as swap some favorite stories. Come…
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Off the Bench Live: 2025 JAM Query Check!
Recorded live and in person at the 2025 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting in Sacramento, California, it’s the return of Query Check! Hosts Doryan Redding and Emily Woten take the stage once again for this Off the Bench game show tradition, joined by Sophia Chandrasekar for a special…
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Federal Policy and the Future of the Lab
In this episode, hosts Doryan Redding and Sophia Chandrasekar sit down with ASCLS Executive Vice President Jim Flanigan and longtime federal lobbyist Patrick Cooney to unpack the rapidly evolving landscape of federal policy and what it means for the clinical laboratory workforce and the patients…
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A Future Leader's Toolkit: The ASCLS Leadership Development Committee
In this episode Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding sit down with Dr. Carol Rentas, Tony Kurec, and Dr. Cathy Otto and talk about their experiences as a leader, and what advice they would share with others looking to be a leader in their community. The three also talk about the learning…
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PAC It Up and Advocate
In this episode, host Doryan Redding talks with Anne Tate and Tristan Sonnier about the ASCLS Political Action Committee (PAC). They explore what it means to them, what the PAC does, and why they joined. Get inspired to make a difference!
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Brain Worms, Figuratively and Literally
Co-hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding talk about their "brain worms." Like ear worms, these are topics that are hard to get out of your head. We talk about an insomnia that kills you, blood flukes that alter the course of history, supplements that need better disclosures, and a true…
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Recapping Off the Bench in 2024: A Specimen Worth Reviewing
Join Sophia and Doryan as they recap the best moments from episodes of Off the Bench in 2024. They reflect on standout episodes, share their favorite clips, and close the year with a blooper reel that’s sure to leave you smiling into 2025.
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From Pipettes to Passion Projects: Small Business Saturday Spotlight
To prepare for Small Business Saturday (November 30, 2024), hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding feature four small businesses that are run by fellow medical laboratory professionals. Find links to their businesses here.
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Med Lab + Sci-Fi Med Lab = MALDI-TOF?
In this episode, hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding are joined by Emily Woten and ASCLS President-Elect Dr. Kyle Riding. The four explore the question that's plagued a few medical laboratory geeks—how do science fiction instrumentation work? How reliable are they? And why does MALDI-TOF...
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Laboratory Work and Education Overseas featuring Dr. Audrey Folsom
In this episode, co-hosts Doryan Redding and Sophia Chandrasekar speak with Dr. Audrey Folsom of Arkansas State University, as she shares her experiences as a medical laboratory scientist doing lab work overseas and her adventures in teaching lab and health courses in China. See photos from...
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CDC's OneLab with Dr. Kelly Winter
In this episode, co-hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding talk with Dr. Kelly Winter about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) OneLab initiative. Hear about all that OneLab has to offer, from CEs to virtual reality labs to facilitate training, and catch our enthusiasm to...
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2024 JAM Query Check Game Show
Doryan Redding and Emily Woten host the 2024 Query Check Game Show live at the 2024 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting. Our three wonderful contestants, Dr. Audrey Folsom, Heather Santaniello, and Amara Sugalski, face off with BOC-styled questions, lab-ish questions, and scenarios that show...
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HIV, Hepatitis, Blood Banking, and More
On today's episode, hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding meet up again with previous guest Grace Leu-Burke, MSCLS, MLS(ASCP), Associate Professor and Program Director of the MLS program at The University of Alaska, Anchorage. Doryan and Sophia pick Grace's brain on how blood banking has...
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Oh, the Paths You Can Make! with Dr. LaShanta Brice
This month, hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding talk with Dr. LaShanta Brice, DCLS, MLS(ASCP)CM, SH(ASCP)CM, about her amazing journey from an MLS in a hospital lab to a Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) in industry. She describes what it's like to go through the DCLS program,...
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Moose, Scat, E. coli, Oh My!
In this month's episode, host Sophia Chandrasekar talks with Professor Grace Leu-Burke of the University of Alaska in Anchorage (UAA). Professor Leu-Burke shares the challenges for a medical laboratory professional in Alaska and the research program she developed at UAA for the MLS program. Hear...
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The Challenges, Opportunities, and Importance of Diversity with Dr. Letycia Nuñez-Argote
In this episode, hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding speak with Letycia Nuñez-Argote, PhD, CPH, MLS(ASCP)CM, about the ASCLS Diversity Advocacy Council, the 2024 ASCLS PRISM: Pride · Respect · Inclusion · Support · Momentum Book Club, and how we can always be improving and learning about...
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2023 Reflections and Look Ahead to 2024
It's the final episode of Off the Bench for 2023. Hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding reflect on the past year and share upcoming news for 2024. Off the Bench will take a short break this winter and will be back with new episodes in March. Happy New Year to all medical laboratory...
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Tales from the Bench
In this episode, hear impactful, heart-warming, and funny stories from medical laboratory professionals that were recorded during the 2023 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting in Providence. Hosts Doryan Redding and Sophia Chandrasekar reflect on what they love about each story. Special…
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Spooky Storytime with Dr. Brandy Gunsolus
Beware: This episode is not for the squeamish. To get in the Halloween spirit, host Sophia Chandrasekar sits down with Brandy Gunsolus, DCLS, MLS(ASCP)CM, to hear her creepiest, most disgusting, and "more unusual" stories that happened while working in medical laboratories. Special thanks go out…
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Improptu Views from JAM 2023 Part 2
In this episode, hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding continue going through the "Impromptu Views" recorded at the 2023 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting and dive into the importance of self-advocacy, community, and outreach in the laboratory field.
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Impromptu Views from JAM 2023 Part 1
In this episode, co-hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding reflect on the 2023 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM). They also share advice given by JAM attendees to prospective and new medical laboratory science students and new laboratorians.
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Talking with Let’s Talk Micro
Hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Doryan Redding speak with Luis Plaza, MLS (ASCP)CM, the host of the Let's Talk Micro podcast. Join the hosts as they speak to Luis as to how he got started, his motivations, and more!
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Off the Bench Live
During the 2023 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) in Providence, RI, Off the Bench hosted and recorded the first ever JAM Query Check (QC) live show focused on questions related, and somewhat related, to medical laboratory science. Three contestants went buzzer-to-buzzer in friendly...
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Mental Health and Burnout in the Laboratory
In this episode guests Dr. Kyle Riding and Emily Woten join a roundtable discussion with hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Galina Dronova about mental health, burnout, and mindfulness in the laboratory. Learn the signs of burnout and discover some tools and techniques to manage, prevent, and…
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A Psychedelic Trip from Forensics to the Clinical Lab
What do MDMA, Ketamine, Psilocybin, and DMT have in common? All four previously considered as "drugs of abuse" are now moving into the therapeutic space for life affirming treatments. In this episode, host Galina Dronova and Dr. Frederick Strathmann discuss the current limitations of laboratory...
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A Trivia Night SOP - Planning for Medical Laboratory Professionals Week
In this episode, Galina Dronova and Allison Germ outline and provide tips on how to host a trivia night for lab folks—perfect for Lab Week! And, we introduce our first Doryan's Takes, with Doryan Redding reflecting on what Lab Week means for her. Special thanks go out to our episode sponsor, the...
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Off the Bench Announcement
Host Sophia Chandrasekar makes an announcement about a short break for the podcast and exciting plans for the return in March 2023.
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Hope and Healing in the Medical Laboratory Science Community
Wrap up 2022 with host Galina Dronova and Elizabeth Power, a sought after speaker, consultant, and CEO of EPower & Associates, as we discuss the importance of community in our personal and professional journeys. Listen for advice on how to build community with patients and care teams. Learn more...
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Much ado about Point of Care
Host Galina Dronova sits down with Tori Nemitz and Dean Derhaag to talk about the crucial role and "a day in the life" of Point of Care specialists as the extroverted faces of the lab. Learn about wins, challenges, and their thoughts on nurses performing complex lab testing.
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Through the Looking Glass: A Conversation of Two Labs
Join host Sophia Chandrasekar and guest Danielle Adank, MS, graduate student at Vanderbilt University, as they discuss the differences and similarities of a medical research laboratory vs a medical/clinical laboratory. The two also discuss the importance of seeing women and women-identifying…
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Legislative Updates for Medical Laboratory Professionals with Jim Flanigan, ASCLS EVP
Hosts Galina Dronova and Sophia Chandrasekar talk with ASCLS Executive Vice President Jim Flanigan about one of the most action-packed years for medical laboratory advocacy (aka, Labvocacy). Recent activities they discuss are: The Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act CMS...
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A Conversation with Laboratory Story Teller: Dr. Alan H.B. Wu, Part 2
Join host Sophia Chandrasekar as she explores Dr. Alan H.B. Wu's mind to find out about his speculative science fiction lab novel, Mind Portal, and learn about speculative fiction, the creative process for the book, preparing it for a movie, and just talking about the impact that the lab had, and...
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A Conversation with Laboratory Story Teller: Dr. Alan H.B. Wu, Part 1
Join hosts Galina Dronova and Sophia Chandrasekar as they speak with Dr. Alan H.B. Wu, chief of the clinical chemistry and toxicology laboratories at San Francisco General Hospital, regarding his efforts of bringing the clinical laboratory to the public spotlight using books, television series…
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Networking with Homework
To prepare for the 2022 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting, which is taking place June 26-30 in Grand Rapids, MI, host Sophia Chandrasekar and fellow medical laboratory professional Mackenzie Edwards talk about networking, including tips for introverts.
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Rethinking Laboratory Medicine Education
Have you ever sat in a lecture and tried your best to hide that you're gently dosing off? Do you shudder at the thought of having to remember to coagulation cascade? In this episode, hosts Galina Dronova and Justin Hanenberg discuss how we can transform laboratory medicine education, whether in…
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Back to the Lab!
To celebrate Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, Off the Bench hosts Galina, Justin, and Sophia speak to Pat Jones, recently retired medical laboratory professional, and reflect on written responses from additional new retirees Janice Conway-Klassesen, Deb Rodahl, and Charlie Weinzierl. They...
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Recalibration - Lab Personality Quizzes
In this silly and fun recalibration episode, hosts Sophia Chandrasekar, Galina Dronova, and Justin Hanenberg take lab-related personality quizzes. Find out their results, and take the tests for yourself: Which Piece of Lab Equipment Are You?...
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Signing Out of 2021
Hosts Sophia Chandrasekar and Galina Dronova end the year with a re-cap of the best of the 2021 and a look forward to what's coming in early 2022.
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Is This the New Norm? Trends in Healthcare
Are you currently working in the laboratory wondering when the staff shortages end? Or maybe you're considering leaving the hospital/clinic workspace for another opportunity such as industry or IT? This podcast is for you. Host Galina speaks with Rick Panning, Senior Healthcare Consultant at ARUP...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Off the Bench have?
Off the Bench currently has 72 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Off the Bench about?
Scientific and not-so-scientific ideas in laboratory medicine. We share ideas and talk nerdy.
How often does Off the Bench release new episodes?
Off the Bench has 72 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Off the Bench?
You can listen to Off the Bench on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Off the Bench?
Off the Bench is created and hosted by ASCLS.
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