Sunday, April 12

10:00am - 3:30pm: Student Symposium

• • • • Mock Exam
      • Lunch with the ASCLS-Michigan Board of Directors
      • Mini Roundtable Discussions

4:00pm - 6:00pm:   Welcome Reception

Join us for hosted beer and wine, a continuing education session, and a short presentation on the ASCLS-Michigan Year in Review and Membership Meeting!

It's Time to Talk: Communicating Science to the Public
Rachel Morris, PhD, MLS(ASCP)^CM

It is time to take your expertise out of the lab and into the public. This session will provide you with an overview of best practices for public-facing science communication and help you to find opportunities to practice this critical skill. (Basic)

Monday, April 13

8:00am - 2:00pm: Registration Open

9:00am - 10:00am: Opening Keynote

Routine Excellence: Building a Culture of Quality in the Clinical Laboratory
Rebekah M. Martin, PhD, D(ABMM), MLS(ASCP)^CM

This session will explore how routine excellence transforms quality from a checklist item into a habit. It will tackle the challenge of dull, complex, or sometimes overlooked quality activities—discussing their critical role in delivering accurate, reliable, and timely lab results. (Basic)

10:00am - 11:00am: Coffee With Exhibitors

11:00am - 12:00pm: Concurrent Sessions

In the Wake of Wakefield: The Vaccine-Autism Controversy
Rebekah M. Martin, PhD, D(ABMM), MLS(ASCP)^CM

This presentation will walk through the findings of Andrew Wakefield’s infamous publication in The Lancet, which attempted to link the MMR vaccine and autism. This session will also explore the circumstances surrounding the article’s publication as well as its impact on society and medicine. Basic immunology and vaccine design will also be discussed. (Basic)

Preeclampsia Ratio (sFlt-1/PlGF)
Jen Marino, BSN, RN

This presentation will focus on the epidemiology of preeclampsia, current diagnostic criteria of preeclampsia, and pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Roles of sFlt-1 and PlGF in the clinical management of preeclampsia will be discussed. (Basic)

12:00pm - 1:30pm: Lunch and Learn

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists & the Medical Laboratory
Kyle B Riding, PhD, MLS(ASCP)^CM

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists medications have received substantial attention in our society due to their notable health benefits. This session will explore their discovery, function, associated health outcomes, and impacts to laboratory medicine. (Intermediate)

1:30pm - 2:30pm:   Concurrent Sessions

Lipoprotein (a): Lp(a)
Jen Marino, BSN, RN

This presentation will focus on the global impact of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease across the world, the clinical relevance of Lp(a) as an independent risk factor in CVD morbidity, updated guidelines for the monitoring of lipids, and the value of new Lipoprotein (a) assays. (Basic)

Exciting Session Coming Soon!

2:45pm - 3:45pm:   Concurrent Sessions

Iron, Hepcidin, and Cardiovascular Disease
Kyle B Riding, PhD, MLS(ASCP)^CM

This session will explore the relationship between iron and hepcidin and how dysregulatory states can increase the risk of heart disease. (Intermediate)

Non-ABO Antigen Detection in Deceased Donor Allografts
Lindsey Wlosinski, PhD, MLS(ASCP)^CMSBB^CM, CHT (ACHI)

Detection of non-ABO RBC Alloantibodies in the Serum of Transplant Patients and the Histologic Distribution of non-ABO RBC Group Antigens in Deceased Donor Allografts (Heart, Lung, Kidney, Pancreas). (Intermediate)

4:00pm - 5:00pm:   Wine'd Down with Exhibitors

5:00pm - 6:00pm:   Awards Ceremony and Installation of Officers

Tuesday, April 14

7:30am - 10:00am: Registration Open

8:00am - 9:00am: General Session

Elemental Toxicity: Case Files from the Metals Lab
Paul J. Jannetto, PhD

Exposure to heavy metals is common because of environmental contamination of air, water, and soil as well as accumulation in food, tobacco, herbal medicines, and occupational contact. Toxic effects, when they occur, may present with non-specific symptoms, resulting in a very large differential for clinicians to consider. Arsenic, lead, and mercury are all among the top ten substance priority list targeted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). In this presentation, clinical case studies will be used to illustrate common signs and symptoms along with supportive laboratory data to help identify and diagnose heavy metal toxicity. (Basic)

9:00am - 10:00am: Coffee with Exhibitors

10:00am - 11:00am: Concurrent Sessions

Evaluating MGUS with Free Light Chains Assays in Clinical Practice
John V. Mitsios, PhD

Free light chains (κ, λ), produced by plasma cells, are key markers in Multiple Myeloma and AL Amyloidosis. Their precursor condition, Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS), is not treated immediately but requires close monitoring due to the risk of progression to Multiple Myeloma. (Intermediate)

Exciting Session Coming Soon!

11:15am - 12:15pm: Concurrent Sessions

Buford the Warm Autoantibody
Adam Stock, MLS(ASCP)^CMSBB^CM

A review on the molecular pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and serologic presentation of warm autoantibodies. This will be geared toward hospital transfusion services with limited access to adsorption procedures. Techniques to guide transfusion recommendations prior to obtaining molecular or adsorption results from reference laboratories will be presented. (Intermediate)

Antimicrobial Resistance: Why Clinical Labs Matter
Virginia M. Pierce, MD, FIDSA

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing concerns in all of medicine. The AMR crisis requires a multifaceted global response, including critical contributions from clinical laboratories. This presentation will emphasize key responsibilities of clinical laboratories in addressing AMR and will empower laboratorians to more confidently fulfill these responsibilities. (Intermediate)

12:15pm - 1:30pm: Closing Lunch and Learn

Building a Zero-Violence Culture: What Healthcare Leaders Must Do Now
Brian Uridge, MPA, CHPA, CPP, CTM 

Violence is a leading occupational hazard in healthcare, with OSHA reporting 75% of incidents occur in these settings. In this in-person presentation, Brian Uridge shares system-wide, community-based strategies to reduce risk, build trust, improve transparency, and strengthen safety through practical training and community policing principles. (Intermediate)