Aaron Schlum Presents at the 2026 Lab Manager Leadership Summit in Phoenix, AZ

Protecting What Matters: Smart Decisions for Sustainable Lab Excellence

At the Lab Manager Leadership Summit 2026, Aaron Schlum delivered a session that resonated across every type of lab environment—because no matter the setting, the pressures are the same.

Tight budgets. Increasing regulatory demands. Operational complexity. Rising expectations.

And in the middle of it all: decisions that carry real consequences for patients, staff, and the science itself.

Drawing from her experience leading a mid-sized forensics lab, a rapidly scaling oncology diagnostics lab, and a resource-constrained startup biobank, Aaron shared a clear and practical framework for navigating these competing priorities. While each environment required a different balance of compliance, cost, and care, one principle remained constant:

Intentional decisions are what protect what matters most.

This session offers a grounded look at how lab leaders can:

• Recognize how funding models and regulatory shifts influence day-to-day decision-making
• Identify and reduce hidden costs that quietly impact performance and sustainability
• Strengthen compliance without sacrificing efficiency or quality
• Implement practical, immediate changes that improve resilience

The takeaway is simple—but powerful: lab excellence isn’t something you arrive at. It’s something you build, decision by decision.

Explore the full presentation below.

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