Pickering’s detail-oriented career comes to a close

Diane Pickering is a lifelong problem solver. For nearly 40 years, she’s been putting those skills to use in the Human Genetics Laboratory. Soon, she’ll have to find other ways to use those skills.

“There’s lots of home improvements and things that I can spend my time problem solving,” Pickering said. “My husband might not be too happy about that.”

Pickering is retiring from Nebraska Medicine on Friday, May 23, after spending her entire 37-year career working in the lab at the med center.

“Thirty-seven years is a long time to be in any one place,” she said. “Something inside me just said it’s time. The lab is in a great place right now. There are a lot of new things on the horizon, and I just felt like it was my turn to step aside and let some new people take the reins.”

Pickering began her career on May 2, 1988, as a lab technologist trainee and then as a technologist. She’d eventually grow into leadership roles, first as a supervisor and then as a manager for the past 10 years. She currently is the manager of the Warren G. Sanger Human Genetics Laboratory. It’s a role that has additional special meaning to her.

It was Warren Sanger, PhD, who hired Pickering back in 1988 to work in the cytogenetics laboratory.

“I really didn’t know how big of an opportunity that was until I started working and learning, and then the science of it kept me captivated,” she said. “We developed new technologies, and we kept growing and it was an exciting place to be.”

Dr. Sanger and Bhavana Dave, PhD, are among the several mentors and leaders she credits with having a positive experience throughout her career.

“I truly appreciate all the leadership that I have had the privilege to work for,” Pickering said. “I’m really thankful for the support they’ve shown, the skills I’ve learned from them and their guidance.”

The continual changes in health care and health sciences kept the work feeling fresh for Pickering.

“As the testing has evolved, my role in the lab has evolved. Even though I’ve been in the lab for this long, it’s really been an evolution of my learning and my leadership skills.”

In 37 years, Pickering has witnessed plenty of changes, both in the work she has done and in her physical surroundings. Some of the key changes she recalls include:

• The development of the Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique, which detects and locates a specific DNA sequence on a chromosome.
• The increase of DNA probes from five to more than 300 and the integration of microarray testing.
• Increased automation in genetic testing. She estimates the lab processes more than 9,000 tests annually.
• The lab operations moving from UNMC to Nebraska Medicine in 2020.
• Moving the lab physically in 2022 from its previous location in the former Munroe-Meyer Institute building at 44th and Dewey streets to Eppley Science Hall.

“It was a big change for the lab, which had been under the UNMC umbrella for many years, to transition into Nebraska Medicine,” Pickering said. “But I think we’ve come out on the other side as a really strong lab with a lot of support from our department.”

The team aspect is something Pickering has been proud to be a part.

“I will miss being part of something bigger than myself,” Pickering said. “Knowing I’m part of an awesome team and that we do really cool work and are able to provide accurate and timely results for pathologists, genetic counselors and the whole realm of health care providers so they can help their patients has been so rewarding.”

While Pickering will miss the camaraderie of working in the lab, she’ll fill her days doing other things she loves, like spending time with friends and family, gardening, traveling, walking her rescue dog and preparing for her daughter’s wedding this summer.

“Diane has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the Human Genetics Laboratory,” said Jill Branson, director, Nebraska Medicine Laboratory. “Throughout her career, Diane successfully managed various transitions in the lab and consistently approached challenges with a positive attitude and optimism for the lab’s future. Her expertise and enthusiasm will be greatly missed.”

As Pickering prepares to say goodbye, she hopes to be remembered for demonstrating the same qualities that her mentors and leaders did.

“It’s been my honor and privilege to work at the Human Genetics Laboratory for all these years and to work with some great mentors and a great team of technologists,” she said. “Over the years, I’ve learned so much, and I leave with a very grateful heart, knowing that the lab is in a great place. They won’t skip a beat.”

yBf gg d Vx