When I first began my career as a researcher, I envisioned a future filled with late nights at the microscope, the hum of biosafety cabinets, and the thrill of publishing papers. I loved the work—the precision of an animal surgery, the beauty of a perfectly streaked agar plate, the feeling of accomplishment after a long day in the tissue culture room. But life has a way of nudging us down paths we don’t expect. My journey from the bench to a career in lab safety began with one of those nudges, and it has transformed not only how I think about science but also how I define impact.
The first seed of this career transition was planted during a conversation with a biosafety officer. One of my lab colleagues revealed to me that she was pregnant. She was working on a project involving the coxsackie virus and was worried about whether she should continue with it. Naturally, I reached out to the safety department and asked, “What should my colleague be concerned about? How can I keep her and others who don’t want to disclose an immunocompromising illness safe?” I wanted to make sure my entire team was protected.
The biosafety officer listened carefully, then asked me something unexpected: “Have you ever considered a career in biosafety? I think you’d be good at this.” I didn’t know it then, but that question opened the door to an entirely new career path.
Embracing a new opportunity
A few years later, after becoming a new parent myself, I felt a shift. I wanted a career where I could still make a meaningful contribution to science while finding balance outside of work.
An opportunity opened in the safety department at one of my previous institutions. I took the leap and landed the role. One of my biggest adjustments in moving from bench work to safety was learning how to scale my efforts. At first, I wanted to do everything for the lab. After all, they were my former collaborators, my friends, my colleagues! I wanted to write their SOPs, fix their protocols, and streamline their processes. But with so many labs on campus, that approach was unsustainable. I had to learn to create templates, provide guidance, and empower researchers to implement solutions themselves.
To my relief, my colleagues were largely excited to see me in this new role. They trusted that anything I asked for would be practical and grounded in real lab experience. I could look at their experiments and find ways to integrate safety without slowing them down or adding unnecessary bureaucracy. Of course, not everyone welcomed the findings of inspections, but because I understood their challenges, I was able to propose creative, realistic solutions. That skill of thinking like a researcher, while acting as a safety professional, was indispensable.
Every skill I developed at the bench carried over into safety. My background in animal studies helped me anticipate the shortcuts researchers might be tempted to take under pressure. My experience producing viruses and infecting cells made me an effective reviewer of biosafety protocols involving viral vectors. And my time as a researcher gave me credibility: I had “been there,” and people knew it.
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But there were also new skills I had to pick up quickly. When I started as a biosafety officer, I didn’t even know what the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard was. I had to teach myself how to read regulations carefully and then translate them into requirements that researchers could realistically follow. Bridging regulatory requirements with lab practices wasn’t something I had done at the bench, but it became central to my success.
The learning curve: from bench to safety
Like any career transition, mine came with its share of lessons learned. One of my earliest lessons was about boundaries. If you do too much for one lab, word spreads quickly, and soon everyone expects that same level of handholding. You risk becoming overwhelmed and unable to focus on broader institutional improvements.
Another lesson was about communication and self-motivation. At the bench, my world was smaller—I could check off tasks on a to-do list and feel accomplished. In safety, my days become more about problem-solving, long-term strategy, and above all, communication. I now engage with a much wider audience, from janitorial staff, facilities employees, and lab assistants to principal investigators, vice presidents, and C-suite executives. I’ve learned that effective communication is not one-size-fits-all. Everyone’s time is valuable, and they need the right information delivered as clearly and efficiently as possible. Some people want a simple checklist that clearly outlines how to execute a procedure safely. Others want to know how much it will cost to implement a new safety measure. Still others need to understand why the old way wasn’t safe to begin with, and some simply want reassurance that the institution is doing everything possible to protect them. Navigating these different needs requires flexibility, empathy, and clarity—skills that have become just as essential to my role as understanding the science itself.
And perhaps the hardest lesson learned: be mindful of how you talk about challenges. In my early days, I sometimes vented my frustrations about the safety department’s difficulties, thinking I was confiding in former lab peers. I didn’t realize how quickly that could erode trust and credibility, making it hard to execute initiatives. I learned to focus on constructive conversations and model the professionalism I wanted others to see in the safety program
How to make the shift
If you’re at the bench and considering a transition into safety, my first piece of advice is to get involved early. Contact your institution’s safety department and inquire about opportunities to assist with a project. It’s a great way to gain hands-on experience and determine if the work aligns with your interests.
Second, find your network. Organizations like ABSA International and its regional affiliates are invaluable. They provide resources, mentorship, and a community of professionals who understand the nuances of the field.
Finally, approach the transition with humility and patience. You’ll need to balance your scientific knowledge with new skills in regulation, communication, and diplomacy. You’ll also need to accept that success looks different. It’s not a neat stack of culture dishes, but a safer, stronger institution built over time. The scope is larger, the impact is broader, and the tangible rewards are rare. I often joke that in safety, if you’re doing your job well, nothing happens. However, if done poorly, it can lead to accident reports.
When I left the bench, I was worried that I was stepping away from science. In reality, I was expanding my role within it. Lab safety professionals may not generate data, but we protect the people who do. We ensure that discoveries can be made safely, responsibly, and sustainably.
The transition from bench scientist to lab safety professional isn’t always easy, but it is deeply rewarding. If you’re considering it, know this: your bench experience is not wasted; it’s absolutely your greatest asset. You’ll bring a perspective that bridges research and safety, and in doing so, you’ll help shape the future of science in ways that are both practical and profound.
