Laboratory Technician with many talents

By Tina Larsen

Her days, according to herself, are a hotchpotch of laboratory teaching, servicing the mass spectrometer (MS) and research (and everything else in between):

"When I started at FKF back in the day, my work day was very simple. You got some samples to analyse, and that's what you did. Today I spend my time in three very different areas, each of which gives me very varied work and contact with lots of people. The first third of my work is spent on teaching our students. For instance, this year I'll be giving a course to first year pharmacy students on how to behave in the lab. I like working with the students because it's fun to see what level each of them are at, but also because I like showing them how important it is to take lab work seriously so that mistakes are avoided. In my opinion, that's one of our main duties as laboratory technicians," emphasises Pia.

Like one of the elves in Harry Potter

A large part of teaching in the laboratory consists of preparation before the course begins. Pia likes to describe herself as one of the elves from Harry Potter. Like the elves, the laboratory technicians take care of many practical matters and make sure that things are working as they should. They are responsible for ordering the chemicals and equipment needed for the course. They lay everything out, test the measuring equipment - in short, get everything ready for the first day in the lab so that everything runs smoothly for the students and teachers.

The laboratory technician profession is like being a tradesperson

Another important part of Pia's work is servicing the MS at the Department. Consequently, she does not always settle for merely helping to operate the apparatus:

"As a laboratory technician, you're also a kind of tradesperson. You shouldn't be afraid to help if an apparatus breaks down. And since I've worked with the MS for a number of years now, I'm not shy about getting a screwdriver out and carrying out minor repairs. For larger repairs, we work closely with the workshop because replacing a single part can cost up to between DKK 100,000 and 200,000! On the other hand, it's an extra triumph when we join forces and get the apparatus working again", says Pia with a big smile.

From laboratory technician intern to being part of a research group

Pia started as a laboratory technician intern at FKF, and as luck would have it, a position became vacant at the Department when she finished her education. In 2011, Pia completed a diploma degree in Chemical Synthesis and Analysis, which she spent three and a half years on while working full-time at FKF.

Although they were three hard years, she is very glad she took the degree:

"I've always thought it was good to have more theory on top of my practical experience. It has added more layers and given me more competences in my profession. It's also why I've become involved in research with the CHART group. We work with archaeometry, which means we examine archaeological and historical materials such as bones and teeth from people of the past, ceramics, earth and parchments," says Pia.

In addition to taking a diploma degree, in 2015 Pia travelled to the chemistry department at the University of Pisa where she spent 14 days learning about their analysis methods. She has also attended a course on project management and has taken a longer course in English.

"I really appreciate the many opportunities for competence development we are offered as laboratory technicians at FKF. It means that you're never standing still, and you're constantly kept updated with the newest developments. In the spring, I'm lucky enough to be going to Italy again. This time it's with the CHART group, and we're going down there to take some samples from bones, which I'm really looking forward to," says Pia enthusiastically.

System in an unpredictable work day

Pia is the kind of person who thrives on working systematically, and she likes to make a plan for her work day to make sure she gets everything done. However, she also says it is not always easy to keep to the plan:

"Some days, I have to juggle lots of things at once, like when I have to analyse the firing temperatures of Asian pottery samples, analyse MS samples and take around 150 pictures of bones, which takes a lot of concentration and precision. You do have to concentrate, but it also helps that over the years of doing the job I've built up some routines I can draw on."

On the home front

Pia is married to Frank, and they have two children together - Gustav, 10, and Louise, 7 - and have a house in Kirkendrup in the northern part of Odense. Pia's husband Frank works as a citizen advisor at Borgerservice, and Pia sees it as a strength that they each work in very different worlds:

"We've come to understand each other's work very well. So sometimes, if we're talking on the phone, it's totally natural for me to say: "I have to take some pictures of bones". If Frank then repeats the story to someone else afterwards, they say: "Ew, how disgusting!" which surprises us sometimes because it's so normal for us to talk about that kind of thing. Because we have to explain our jobs to each other, it also means that we're getting better at explaining them to other people - and to our children," concludes Pia.

In her spare time, Pia has been taking Riverdance  classes for a number of years, and she is a member of a troupe which gives performances from time to time. She also enjoys sewing and likes to sew costumes for the troupe when they perform every year on St. Patrick's Day. As well as sewing for the dance troupe, costumes for the children at Fastelavn and Halloween are also a hit. The children come up with ideas for their costumes, and last year at Halloween Pia transformed her 10-year-old son into a headless man.

After a one-hour interview with Pia, it is clear that she is very passionate about her work at FKF. She talks openly, with engagement and great enthusiasm about her profession. It is also clear that Pia is dedicated to family life, with all the joys and challenges it brings. Thank you to Pia for an interesting and very informative interview!