Finding Practical Solutions in the Face of Chaos

In this episode of Navigating Your Path, Duane is joined by Kyle Rodino for a real and candid conversation about how Kyle’s path in clinical microbiology came together: starting with growing up in coastal Connecticut, getting hooked on science through great teachers and hands-on projects, and learning people skills early through peer mediation in high school. Kyle talks about heading to UNC Chapel Hill, realizing the pre-med track wasn’t for him, and taking a chance by cold-emailing Dr. Peter Gilligan—an email that turned into lab research, switching into medical laboratory science, and several years working the bench in the UNC Hospitals micro lab. He shares what that bench time taught him about workflow, rolling out new tests, and building strong communication with clinical teams through the Lab Ambassador Program. From there, Kyle walks through grad school at VCU and his fellowship at Mayo Clinic, where he learned what lab leadership really looks like by watching great directors in action. They also dig into hard work vs. “luck,” what motivates different people, and building his academic portfolio by publishing “the practical solutions developed in the face of chaos.”

00:00 Check In

03:10 Growing Up New England

05:08 Science Sparks Early

09:17 Peer Mediation Lessons

12:54 Mentors Who Shaped Me

15:25 UNC And Life Balance

17:46 Leaving The Pre Med Track

27:57 Working The Micro Bench

33:28 Lab Ambassador Insights

40:03 Grad School Next Steps

43:47 Building A Grad School Toolbox

47:01 Independence And Staying Motivated

51:54 Hard Work Creates Luck

58:52 Leading Through Different Motivations

01:09:22 Fellowship Lessons At Mayo

01:12:18 Crafting An Academic Story

01:25:10 Advice To Younger Self

Connect with Duane here:

Email me: duane@navigatingyourpath.site

Podcast Website: www.navigatingyourpath.site

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@NavigatingYourPath

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/duanenewton/

Coaching Website: www.dwnconsult.com

From Rural Roots to Global Impact: Leadership, Imperfection, and the Future of Lab Medicine

In this episode of Navigating Your Path, Duane talks with John Osiecki, PhD, Vice President of Medical Affairs with bioMérieux. John details his “origin story” growing up in rural Missouri, describing his curiosity-driven path into science, and their shared experiences with Marilyn Menegus as a mentor. John shares formative leadership lessons from a high school coach, how those experiences shaped his parenting and views on confidence, failure, and integrity, and discusses the challenges of perfectionism in healthcare. Their conversation further explores a variety of diverse topics (enhanced my John’s extensive library) including servant leadership, accountability, strategic planning, empowering teams, debriefing, and emerging AI’s transformative potential in diagnostics and healthcare. A listing of the works discussed in the interview is provided below.

00:00 Warm Welcome and Updates
01:53 Fellowship Years and Old Friends
03:43 Growing Up Rural Midwest
06:09 College and Grad School Path
08:04 Coach Trip Leadership Lessons
14:38 Parenting and Confidence
20:21 Broken Piano Mindset
25:18 Perfectionism and Excellence
31:36 Choosing Industry After Fellowship
35:33 Mentors and Steppingstones
41:21 Servant Leadership and Accountability
43:23 Diet Coke Accountability
47:54 Leading Complex Teams
50:28 Empower Decision Making
53:41 Managing Failure Risk
55:47 Psychological Safety
01:01:11 Debriefs and Communication
01:04:22 Strategic Planning Maturity
01:08:12 Onboarding and All In
01:13:38 AI Future in Healthcare
01:22:27 Good Timber

Reading list from this episode:
The Gifts of Imperfection, book by Brené Brown
A Bag of Tools, poem by R. L. Sharpe
The Question Behind the Question, book by John G. Miller
Reinventing Organizations, book by Fredric Laloux
All In: How Great Leaders Build Unstoppable Teams, book by Mike Michalowicz
The Coming Wave, book by Mustafa Suleyman
Good Timber, poem by Douglas Malloch

Connect with Duane here:

Email me: duane@navigatingyourpath.site

Podcast Website: www.navigatingyourpath.site

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@NavigatingYourPath

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/duanenewton/

Coaching Website: www.dwnconsult.com

Public Health Forever: Marie-Claire Rowlinson and her Passion for Exploration, Adventure, and Public Health

Duane chats with Marie-Claire Rowlinson about their connection since the First Coast meeting in Jacksonville (January 2024) and her career path from growing up in London to public health microbiology. She describes being guided into microbiology by a teacher, studying medical microbiology at the University of Newcastle, and earning a PhD in molecular parasitology at the University of Nottingham with field work in Cameroon. Marie-Claire shares how zest for exploration and interest in public health were influenced by experiences in Tanzania, Namibia, and films like Outbreak and Contagion. Realizing basic research didn’t fit, she found ASM’s CPEP fellowship programs via Google – training at UCLA where she was mentored by figures including Dave Bruckner, Janet Hindler, Ed Desmond, Sid Feingold, and Max Salfinger, relationships that sparking her interest in TB and steered her into public health lab leadership. She discusses global lab capacity work at APHL, public health funding realities, imposter syndrome and perfectionism, and her recent pivot into industry at bioMérieux while keeping public health central.

00:00 First Coast Connection

03:26 London Roots and Science Spark

04:39 Teachers and Choosing Microbiology

10:27 Tanzania Trip and Outbreak Movies

13:31 Leaving London then Leaving Basic Science

19:22 Googling into CPEP and UCLA Highlights

27:21 Mentors Who Shaped Her

32:54 Post Fellowship Winding Road

38:11 Imposter Syndrome and Perfectionism

45:53 Global Health Spark

47:48 Africa Fieldwork Lessons

50:59 APHL To Lab Director

57:31 TB Mentors and Meaning

59:12 Giving Back Mentorship

01:05:37 Why Public Health Labs

01:07:36 Funding, Politics, & Pressures

01:13:10 Pivot into Industry and Staying Authentic

01:29:08 Public Health Forever

Connect with Duane here:

Email me: duane@navigatingyourpath.site

Podcast Website: www.navigatingyourpath.site

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@NavigatingYourPath

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/duanenewton/

Coaching Website: www.dwnconsult.com