Clinical Laboratory Science Program News • Spring 2022

CLS students embrace supplemental learning opportunities

Last fall, Wayne State University Clinical Laboratory Science program seniors participated in the first-ever National Cell Bowl for students, sponsored by the American Society for Clinical Pathology and YouTube celebrity Medical Lab Lady Gill. Students used an app to identify blood cells and compete against other schools for prizes and the national title. "I really love competing and feel like I’m engaged with the cells now," said CLS student Hawraa Alchiban. "This experience is really pushing me to get even higher scores each week and learn about more hematological cells."

This fall, a departmental honors track is coming to the CLS program in conjunction with WSU's Irvin D. Reid Honors College. CLS Program Director Karen Apolloni says the new track will challenge and encourage students to develop undergraduate research projects relevant to their major and to explore course content in greater depth.

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Interprofessional education enhances CLS curriculum

The CLS program has prioritized interprofessional education (IPE), offering students the chance to learn from and with those from other health sciences degree programs. In December 2021, CLS students were led through eight stations by Pathologists' Assistant Program Director Lou Kramer, who presented and discussed various urinary tract organs with disease correlation. "Laboratory professionals such as clinical laboratory scientists and pathologists’ assistants must develop a strong supportive network for the medical field since they work closely together," said CLS Assistant Clinical Professor MaryAnne Stewart. "Providing the pathologists' assistant perspective of renal anatomy enhances learning for CLS students and interprofessional collaboration in the future."

This February, CLS and Physician Assistant Studies students teamed up on point-of-care testing case studies in an IPE experience facilitated by faculty from both programs. CLS faculty demonstrated how PAS students should perform the tests at point-of-care and emphasized the critical importance of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, quality control and precision. CLS students performed quality control on tests for urinalysis, pregnancy and strep A.

Meet two CLS students poised to graduate this May

"When I was taking an introductory microbiology class I just fell in love with all the instruments and being in a laboratory," said Nydia Andrade. "I remember being once in a body fluids laboratory and looking at urate crystals under the microscope; it was the most interesting feeling, seeing things that I did not know existed."
Mikayla Nayback chose the CLS field while working in Michigan Medicine's specimen processing lab. "So much goes into helping patients that isn’t just done by doctors and nurses. I knew that I wanted to be part of that process but without interacting directly with patients, which is what makes this field such a perfect fit!" she said.

MaryAnne Stewart

Dr. MaryAnne Stewart earns multiple accolades and accomplishments

Assistant Clinical Professor MaryAnne Stewart earned a WSU Applebaum Health Sciences Division Clinical Award, a new program designed to promote research activities for health sciences faculty, particularly those early in their research careers. Stewart's research project will measure the impact of embedding lecture enhancement technology, such as Kahoot and MediaLab, into CLS classroom instruction. Through active publication of instructional designs, student assessment and research protocols, she intends to place Wayne State in a national leadership role for the development and execution of embedding technology into CLS classroom instruction.

For her work on innovative course design, her IPE initiatives, and her engagement and interaction with students, Stewart was recognized with the Applied Health Sciences Teaching Award. And her 2020-21 Academic Leadership Academy fellowship project came to fruition as she researched, designed and launched a university-wide faculty resources webpage for the Office of the Provost. “Identifying expectations for teaching, research, service and promotion will help support and prepare new faculty members. It will also allow them to fully acclimate to their environment successfully,” she said.

Share your news and updates

If you have news of your own to share or just want to say hello, please get in touch! We'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to email Karen Apolloni directly at ae2586@wayne.edu. You can also update your alumni record online to make sure we have your most up-to-date contact information for future newsletters.