In my work at Fred Hutch I collect and manage data on cancer patients. Every day when I come to work, I have to temporarily suspend my empathy for the patients we study and disconnect my emotions or I’d lose my objectivity and quite possibly my mind and never get any work done. The people and their experiences we studyContinue reading “Back to the Real World”
Tag Archives: Cancer
A Day in the Life of a Cancer Programmer
I consider myself very lucky to have the privilege to work at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which we affectionately call Fred Hutch. I manage a small team of programmers in creating custom solutions to support the world-renowned research that is happening here. In this post, I thought I’d give you an idea of whatContinue reading “A Day in the Life of a Cancer Programmer”
Cancer Gets Personal
As many of you know, I work at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (or simply Fred Hutch). It’s a very rewarding job knowing that I am helping scientists crack the code of cancer and save lives. But to be honest, when working in cancer research, it’s very easy to keep the suffering from cancer at aContinue reading “Cancer Gets Personal”
My Obliteride
Two weeks ago on Saturday, I got up at 5:30 am after a night of not-so-restful sleep. (We had thunder and lightning much of the night and I was a little anxious about the ride.) Unfortunately for Suzanna, she had to wake up two hours earlier since she was on the first volunteer Saturday shiftContinue reading “My Obliteride”
Better Care Starts with a Better Diagnosis
You may have read the recent article about the National Cancer Institute coming up with more precise language when talking about cancer. Sounds silly perhaps, but this is so important when dealing with this scary disease and the language that physicians use can subtly change the care given to patients as well as their comfortContinue reading “Better Care Starts with a Better Diagnosis”
Keeping Track of Leukemia Specimens
Over seven years ago, I was asked to create a system to help scientists keep track of specimens at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center where I work. The system I created, the AML Specimen Bank, is still used today by researchers studying an often fatal type of leukemia in children called acute myeloid leukemia orContinue reading “Keeping Track of Leukemia Specimens”
Fred and William Hutchinson
As you may have read, I am riding in a cycling event, Obliteride, that is a fund-raised for the cancer institute where I also work and have worked for the past 9+ years, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. What, you ask? Why is the place you work named Fred Hutchinson and what does that haveContinue reading “Fred and William Hutchinson”
Cancer Gets Personal
It seems like not too long ago when I didn’t know anyone with cancer and then it seemed to hit, like summer here in Seattle…One day it’s 50 degrees and raining, and the next, boom, it’s hot and sticky summer weather. All of a sudden all around us, just like, for me, cancer. In 2011Continue reading “Cancer Gets Personal”
Why Obliteride and Fred Hutch?
It’s been over nine years since I started working at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, or as we like to call it “Fred Hutch” or just “The Hutch”. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was established in 1975 by Dr. William Hutchinson in honor of his brother, Fred, who died of lung cancer inContinue reading “Why Obliteride and Fred Hutch?”
The Whole Geek 