{"id":8135,"date":"2025-08-05T08:51:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T12:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/?p=8135"},"modified":"2025-08-07T11:23:36","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T15:23:36","slug":"staff-spotlight-lindsay-lane-finding-purpose-humor-and-big-picture-thinking-in-lung-cancer-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/radiology\/2025\/08\/staff-spotlight-lindsay-lane-finding-purpose-humor-and-big-picture-thinking-in-lung-cancer-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Staff Spotlight: Lindsay Lane \u2014 Finding Purpose, Humor, and Big Picture Thinking in Lung Cancer Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"If you ever wondered who keeps complex, multi-stakeholder research projects running smoothly behind the scenes, meet\u00a0Lindsay Lane<\/strong>,\u00a0Research Project Manager<\/strong>\u00a0with the\u00a0Epidemiology Research Team at UNC<\/strong>. Her title might not hint at it, but Lindsay is the connective tissue behind UNC\u2019s\u00a0North Carolina Lung Screening Registry<\/strong>\u2014a statewide initiative that\u2019s tracking real-world outcomes for one of the newest and most impactful cancer screening tools in modern medicine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a hand in pretty much everything,\u201d Lindsay says with a laugh. \u201cIRB submissions, data requests, DUAs, REDCap forms, running meetings\u2014herding cats, basically. I make sure we meet all of our grant requirements and keep everyone moving in the same direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLindsay strikes a perfect balance between friendliness and professionalism,” says Thad Benefield, Statistician, Carolina Mammography Registry. “She approaches her work with enthusiasm, proficiency, thoroughness, and competence, usually while smiling!”<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a job that requires organization, resilience, and a unique mix of scientific understanding and people skills\u2014qualities Lindsay has honed across a winding, multidisciplinary career that began far from public health.<\/p>\n

From Anthropology to Epidemiology<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lindsay\u2019s academic background is in\u00a0anthropology<\/strong>, with a minor in\u00a0Australian studies<\/strong>\u00a0(yes, really). \u201cI\u2019ve always been fascinated by people\u2014how they live, how they interact. I was a huge\u00a0National Geographic<\/em>\u00a0nerd growing up.\u201d Her love of people led her to study abroad at the University of Sydney and eventually down the path of\u00a0medical anthropology, <\/strong>inspired by a favorite professor.<\/p>\n

\"\"But like many great stories, hers includes detours: a stint as a\u00a0legal assistant<\/strong>\u00a0(\u201cdidn\u2019t enjoy it\u201d), a few odd jobs, and even\u00a0beekeeping<\/strong>\u00a0while applying to grad school. It was during her time studying\u00a0epidemiology at UAB<\/strong>\u00a0that she dove into the writings of\u00a0Paul Farmer<\/strong>, whose blend of anthropology and global health deeply shaped her outlook.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I was going to spend my career chasing infectious disease outbreaks. I was drawn to that urgency, the constant change.\u201d And for a time, she did, working for a\u00a0county health department<\/strong>\u00a0before shifting into research at the\u00a0University of South Florida<\/strong>. When her husband accepted a position at UNC, the couple moved to Chapel Hill\u2014and Lindsay landed with UNC\u2019s epidemiology research group in 2019.<\/p>\n

The \u201cUnsexy\u201d Side of Epidemiology That Matters Deeply<\/strong><\/p>\n

At first glance, lung cancer research may not seem as glamorous as infectious disease outbreak work. Lindsay admits she once felt the same\u2014until a public health dean offered this reminder:<\/p>\n

\u201cInternational infectious disease epi is sexy\u2014you fly in, save the day. But cancer epi? It\u2019s a marathon, not a sprint. The outcomes are just as important, sometimes more.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

That stuck. And she\u2019s never looked back.<\/p>\n

Lung cancer screening, in particular, is a\u00a0relatively new frontier<\/strong>, with standardized recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force only arriving in 2013. Lindsay’s work helps understand howscreening works\u00a0outside of clinical trial setting<\/strong>\u2014in the real world, among real patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is cutting-edge,\u201d she says. \u201cWe’re testing how these recommendations work in the real world. It’s exciting, and it\u2019s evolving all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advice for Future Epidemiologists: Stay Curious, Stay Flexible<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Lindsay is quick to encourage aspiring epidemiologists to\u00a0keep an open mind<\/strong>. \u201cThere are so many different ways into this work. On our team, we have folks with business backgrounds, medical scribes, medical assistants\u2014people who bring real-world insight into how data is collected and used. That\u2019s invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also advises\u00a0not to cling too tightly to plans<\/strong>. \u201cThings rarely go how you expect. But there\u2019s always a path forward. Keep the big picture in mind\u2014what are we really trying to do here? We\u2019re saving lives through lung cancer screening. Even when we\u2019re tweaking a REDCap form or waiting on a report\u2014it\u2019s part of something bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

And through it all,\u00a0communication<\/strong>\u00a0is key. \u201cLearning to ask questions, check in with your team, and speak up\u2014it can prevent a lot of problems before they happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Outside of Work: Guitars, Bluegrass, and a Budding Musician<\/strong><\/p>\n

When she\u2019s not managing a statewide lung screening registry, Lindsay\u2019s life is wonderfully full. She\u2019s the proud mom of a\u00a0very active 1.5-year-old<\/strong>, who apparently shares his dad\u2019s musical genes. \u201cOne of his first words was\u00a0guitar<\/em>,\u201d she says. Her husband plays, and music is a central part of their family life.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re often found at\u00a0local concerts<\/strong>\u2014Southern Village\u2019s \u201cMusic in the Park\u201d or shows around Carrboro\u2014with their son in tow. She also loves\u00a0cooking and baking<\/strong>\u00a0(though the toddler limits how much mess she can make these days), and spending time with their\u00a0three-year-old dog<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Lighter Side of Lindsay<\/strong><\/p>\n