BGSU alumna helps identify cyclospora cases amid multistate outbreak

As a medical laboratory scientist for the past decade, Bowling Green State University alumna Robin Fink ‘16 has come to expect certain pathogens to come through the lab based on the time of year.

This summer, however, brought something she had never seen before.

In early July, while working in the microbiology lab at ProMedica Toledo Hospital, Fink identified a positive test for cyclospora – a first in her 10-year career in medical lab science.

“I remember talking to the other technologist about how abnormal it was to see that,” said Fink, a medical technologist at ProMedica who holds a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science from BGSU. “It’s normal in the summer to see some cases of seasonal diarrhea or an uptick in norovirus, but cyclospora hasn’t been one that I’ve ever seen.”

The intestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite has been linked to a multistate outbreak, and nearby Michigan leads the nation in cases, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Soon after that first positive test, Fink said the number of samples to test for cyclospora has increased and continues to climb. ProMedica’s Toledo location handles testing for the hospital's network throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. 

“We are so proud of Robin and the critical role she and the many other medical lab science alumni play in the health of our region and state,” said Jessica Bankey, associate dean in the BGSU College of Health and Human Services and associate clinical professor in the medical laboratory science program. “Medical laboratory scientists often go unrecognized, even though an estimated 70% of medical decisions rely on laboratory results. Their work is fundamental to patient care.”

While medical lab scientists work behind the scenes and do not interact directly with patients, Fink said they take immense care to ensure accurate diagnoses, knowing that their work has a real impact on people’s lives.

“I look at every specimen as though it were my parents or grandparents or my best friend’s child,” Fink said. “In the case of the cyclospora outbreak, the work we’re doing is shared with health departments so they can do contact tracing and with the CDC for further testing.

“We’re kind of on the front lines of helping to determine what’s going on here, and that’s important.”

Fink said the foundational knowledge she received through Bowling Green’s medical lab science program, which boasts a 100% employment rate, has been pivotal to her professional success. Throughout the program, students are taught both technical knowledge and valuable critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary in the field.

“They often told us in class that bugs don’t read the book,” Fink said. “We learn what’s expected, how things should grow, what should happen and what we should be seeing, but that can vary significantly from what we see in the lab from day to day.

“There’s definitely a lot of critical thinking and troubleshooting, and times when you have to pivot and go back to what we learned at Bowling Green. It keeps you on your toes at all times, and I think Bowling Green really does prepare you for all of it.”

Throughout her career, Fink has stayed connected to Bowling Green and its medical lab science program. In her role at ProMedica, she frequently interacts with students from the University who are doing their clinical placement at the hospital. 

“When you go to Bowling Green, you’re prepared and ready to hit the ground running,” she said. “You also have a really good chance of finding a job right out of college, and that doesn’t always happen in this world.”

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