The first in her family to have a profession in the sciences, Kimberly Michelle McLean Van Winkle was preparing for a laboratory-oriented career when she fell in love with histology. Her initial interest was in forensic archaeology, but she found that histology shares similarities that involve exploration and finding answers, which intrigued her. While working as a lab assistant, having the ability to help patients in her community and provide them with answers became the most important deciding factor in choosing and continually pursuing her current path.
As a histotechnologist in the dermatopathology department of Oregon Health and Science University, Ms. McLean Van Winkle’s expertise is performing various complex testing, microtomy, and turning tissue samples into microscope slides that pathologists use to formulate diagnoses. Although she says technology makes her research easier, she has fun getting her hands dirty and doing the “nitty-gritty” work herself. Ms. McLean Van Winkle, whose motto is “On it,” is proudest of having the opportunity to be at the forefront of helping to create new antibiotic protocols for immunohistochemistry staining of tissues. This scientific innovation has attracted the attention of other laboratory facilities that hope to learn about the development.
Before joining Oregon Health and Science University, Ms. McLean Van Winkle was a laboratory assistant with Southeastern Pathology Associates in Georgia. A highlight of her career, she recalls, is when she, a histotechnologist friend, and three pathologists started their own lab, building it from the ground up and arranging it the way they envisioned. The facility, named DermLab, operates in Birmingham, Alabama. A trusted authority in her field, Ms. McLean Van Winkle is a member of the National Society for Histotechnology and the American Society of Clinical Pathology, which certified her as a histotechnologist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nevada, Reno, a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and pre-medicine from Grinnell College in Iowa, and a diploma from Hilo High School in Hawaii.
Ms. McLean Van Winkle says her keys to success are her excitement for learning and willingness to look closely at the science and people behind her profession rather than focusing on the daily work. Every tissue sample she handles represents a patient and a family, which motivates her to deliver her best efforts and provide accurate lab results. This attitude is what separates her when she hopes along with patients for good news or at least a positive path for them to follow. Ms. McLean Van Winkle is equally grateful to her husband, Robert Van Winkle, for his unfailing support.
In the next five years, Ms. McLean Van Winkle intends to add to her scientific qualifications and continue developing new staining procedures in dermatopathology. She also plans to help bring Oregon Health and Science University further into the 21st century by focusing on digital pathology and artificial intelligence. Having a fulfilling career inspires Ms. McLean Van Winkle to teach others. She feels responsible for passing along her knowledge so that the hard work accomplished so far can continue through future generations. It can be a challenge to attract new professionals to histotechnology and to join her on the staff, yet when it does happen and they are excited about the work, it keeps her optimistic, involved in research, and making new discoveries.
Grateful for having had the opportunity to work with and learn from so many colleagues over time and that she can pass on tips and tricks to others, Ms. McLean Van Winkle continues to stay curious and advises new and seasoned technicians alike to do the same. Too often she says, people can lose their sense of wonder amid the day-to-day grind. Thus, she reminds anyone in her professional purview, “We sometimes need to take a step back and remind ourselves why we do what we do!”
