Multitask master
General Article
November 18, 2004
Anna Fishburn supports several researchers, grants and projects by day, pursues a master's degree by night and is always on the lookout for more
Anna Fishburn's scientific background helps her understand the operations of the lab and speak the language of the scientists she supports.
Photo by Todd McNaught |
Anna Fishburn is reaping the benefits of the two years she spent in a lab before moving to an administrative job two years ago.
A day in the work life of this laboratory-technician-turned-project-coordinator combines aspects of both. You might find her assisting an investigator in grant preparation by developing the initial budget and justification. "If the grant includes array work, she knows the types of supplies to budget for and to order. Will the work be split between a postdoc and the technician? Natch. Shared resources? Been there. Oh, and let's monitor those budgets.
Her work in the Tapscott Lab helped her develop carry-over skills such as attention to detail and good organization. "The same planning and problem solving I used to perform experiments helps me do grant submissions and budget management," Fishburn said. "While I was in the lab, I managed several projects simultaneously, and this is always the case in my current position," she said matter-of-factly.
"This lab experience gives me a better understand of the research process," said Fishburn, whose hunger to learn and take on new responsibilities has resulted in an impressive portfolio. She currently supports six researchers in the Clinical Research Division. She also supports the Seattle Cancer and Aging Program grant headed by Drs. Jerry Radich and Peter Rabinovitch.
"People often ask what I do, and it's usually hard to fully describe," Fishburn said. "This job is more than just reading e-mails and submitting grants. Each investigator has a unique lab that is constantly changing. Each has a variety of grants with their own requirements and personnel with changing needs. Operating the lab requires interaction with many departments around the center, along with others outside the center. My job is to act as the administrative point of contact for the labs, and I do my best to help the lab run smoothly and to proactively address issues that come up. My scientific background helps me to better understand the operations of the lab and to speak the language of science."
"My goal is to make the faculty members' jobs easier by minimizing the time they spend on administrative issues," she said.
In Grady's eyes, she's met her goal.
"Having recently arrived here, I have found Anna to be an incredible resource," he said. "She has a background in basic research and in business that has made her very effective in a management position. She is an integral part of my research team, and has been a key element in my smooth transition from Vanderbilt University to Fred Hutchinson. In addition, she has a fantastic attitude and is always focused on the primary objectives of the center's research and patient care."
"Anna has been extremely, extremely helpful, almost to the point of being indispensable," Dr. Julian Simon said. "From the beginning she has had a highly professional and enthusiastic approach to her work."
Simon said Anna reorganized the lab's entire purchasing, record-keeping and grants management systems "in a way that did not disrupt our daily operations in the slightest.
"She has always been eager to take on new challenges, like the Cancer and Aging grant. The grant was a big multi-investigator, multi-institution proposal that was pulled together at the last minute," Simon said. "Anna handled it efficiently and with a good sense of humor — this was essential because many pieces did not come together until the very last minute. She juggled putting together the budget, making sure that the text sections were coherent and getting the whole thing through sign off without a glitch."
Carrying a newly-minted Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from Western Washington University, Fishburn came to Fred Hutchinson in 2000 and worked in the Tapscott Lab.
"My work in the Tapscott lab was pretty varied. I worked with yeast, mammalian cells and mice, in addition to experiments in vitro. I was also part of experiments directed by Dr. Jeff Dilworth, which have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"I had some administrative duties, such as ordering supplies and maintaining a cell database. That led me to think that a coordinator position might be a good fit," she said.
The possibility that she would have more control over the outcome of her work also got her thinking about a change. "If you do everything as planned, it works. That's not necessarily the case when doing science."
When Fishburn became a project coordinator in 2002, she was assigned to the Fero, Clurman, Simon and Pharmacokinetics laboratories. In 2003, she added the Cancer and Aging Grant to her administrative duties. Then earlier this year, she took on the Grady Lab from the beginning, helping Grady get set up here from Vanderbilt University.
Fishburn hints that there's more to come. More? She has finished the first year of the three-year evening MBA program at the University of Washington to learn more about the business side of health care. She is looking for related tasks to which she can apply her new knowledge.
"I enjoy learning new things and working with new people. As I became more efficient I found I had time to do more," Fishburn said when asked about her proclivity to take second and third helpings of work. "I'm not a good employee if I'm bored." It's doubtful that she'll ever be bored.
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