We Are Randox | Making Great Teams in the Lab and on the Pitch!
Our Randox employees are multi-talented – not only in their roles as world-class scientists, software developers, engineers, marketeers and sales people, but also in their lives outside work. At Randox we have swimmers, cyclists, dancers, musicians, horse riders…the list goes on! And at Randox Teoranta, we have a group of Randox employees who work together as a team not only in the labs, but also on the pitch!
This weekend, our Randox Teoranta football team took part in a number of challenging football games at the Mary from Dungloe Annual Soccer Tournament. The tournament kicked off on Saturday 30th of July at 10.30am and continued on throughout the day, with six teams from across the County taking part; Gweedore Celtic, Glenea Utd, St. Catherine’s, Strand Rovers, Randox, and the Keadue Rovers.
The Randox Teoranta team comprises of a number of experienced football players, some of whom already play for prestigious clubs in the area;
- Ciaran Ferry, Lead Manufacturing Operator – currently plays for Gweedore Celtic in the Donegal Soccer League
- Shaun Boyle, Manufacturing Operator – currently plays for Keadue Rovers in the Donegal Soccer League
- Kevin Boyle, Manufacturing Operator – former Keadue Rovers player
- Daniel Melly, Mechanical Design Engineer – currently plays for Keadue Rovers in the Donegal Soccer League
- Darren McGeever, Mechanical Design Engineer – currently plays for Glenea Utd in the Donegal Soccer League
- Ryan Kettle, Biochip Formulation Operative – currently plays for Drumkeen Utd in the Donegal Soccer League
- Daryl Devenney, Scientist – currently plays for Keadue Rovers
- Mal Mc Fadden, Stores Operative – former Keadue Rovers player
- Aidan O’Donnell, Stores Operative – currently plays for Strand Utd in the Donegal Soccer League
- Robert Farrell, Stores Operative – former Home Farm player
Team Manager and current Chairman of Keadue Rovers Football Club, Ben Boyle, commented;
“The Mary from Dungloe soccer tournament was the first competition for our newly formulated Randox team, and we were all excited to represent our company. As you can see, a lot of our players were playing against their own respective clubs such as Keadue Rovers, Gweedore Celtic, Glenea Utd and Strand Utd, who all took part, so there was certainly some friendly rivalry on the day!”
The Teo team successfully won one of their four matches during the tournament which saw Glenea Utd of the Donegal Senior League take home the coveted Perpetual Cup. Randox lost to the eventual winners of the tournament in their first game by a narrow 1 goal margin. In their second game they lost 2-0 to Strand Rovers but hit form in their third encounter against Gweedore Celtic. Teo emerged as winners when the whistle blew at 3-0, with goals from Darren McGeever, Mal McFadden and Daryl Devenney. The Teo team unfortunately lost their fourth match 1-0 after a very close encounter with Keadue Rovers.
A victory against Keadue would have seen Teo reach a play off to make the final but it just wasn’t to be on this occasion. The final then saw Glenea Utd and Keadue rovers go head-to-head, leaving Glenea victorious on penalties and emerging the victors of the tournament.
The tournament on the Shorefront pitch followed a week jam-packed full of activities during the Mary from Dungloe Festival, including a visit from the Marys to Randox Teoranta for a guided tour of the facilities.
On Sunday, Eva Ni Dhoibhlinn was then officially announced as Mary from Dungloe at a Crowning Cabaret which was televised on Irish TV.
Shaun Boyle, Randox Teoranta Football Team Captain, enjoyed taking part in the tournament, which he described as a much-loved and eagerly anticipated event during the Mary from Dungloe festival;
“All of us in the Randox team gave it our all. During such a popular event as the annual Mary from Dungloe Soccer Tournament, we were of course up against top quality opposition, but played our absolute best. We may need a few diagnostic kits to analyse our injuries from the tournament – especially for the older players in the squad!”
Ciaran Richardson, Head of R&D at Randox Teoranta, congratulated the team on their efforts and is looking forward to seeing the team play in their next big game;
“From everyone at Randox I’d like to say a big well done to all the players in the Randox Teo football team. They played exceptionally well and it was great to see their teamwork in the workplace transfer on to the pitch.”
Follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
Randox ramping up business in the US at AACC
Following its recent £1 billion sales announcement, Randox Laboratories is maintaining its focus on international markets, as a group of 30 representatives from the diagnostics company, which has headquarters in County Antrim, have travelled to the US this week, to take part in the world’s largest diagnostics conference – in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo, known as the leading event for laboratory medicine worldwide, is attended by over 20,000 delegates from across the globe, and offers Randox the opportunity to showcase their capabilities and to network with leading healthcare professionals and key decision makers.
Managing Director of Randox, Dr. Peter FitzGerald, explained the company’s focus on business with the US;
“The USA is one of our most important markets and we have been exporting our diagnostic products there since the early 1980s. For example, we have Randox Clinical Chemistry Analysers in key Ivy League Institutions, such as Yale University School of Medicine, and Harvard University. It is vital to nurture and develop these key relationships, as well as endeavor to establish new ones.”
Randox’s expertise in diagnostics means that the company has been able to diversify beyond healthcare, into the veterinary, research, forensic, and food safety sectors in the US. For example, a number of countries have implemented strict regulations on their meat imports in recent years, meaning that US exports have had to source new ways of demonstrating the quality of their products. Randox Food Diagnostics technology have enabled US exporters to demonstrate residue-free products, by screening for the growth promoter Ractopamine.
Randox’s Toxicology division is also at the forefront of one of the world’s key health challenges; ‘legal highs.’ Key state level agencies for forensic investigations, such as The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, are able to stay on top of this growing public health threat by custom ordering Randox biochips to test the most relevant drugs of abuse within their state.
Dr. FitzGerald continued;
“Following the Brexit decision there will of course be particular business challenges, but at Randox we will maintain our commitment to research and development, and seek new opportunities in international markets such as the US. A growing demand for Randox innovations in the US has supported a $10m investment in our new facility Kearneysville, in West Virginia, which will be officially opened later this year, and will enable us to strengthen our position in that market.”
AACC runs from the 31st July – 4th August at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Randox can be found at booth #2927.
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Randox Celebrates Success at Global Sales Conference in Templepatrick
Randox employees gathered at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick from 4th to 8th of July for their Global Sales Conference. The conference was aimed at celebrating the hard work and dedication of Randox employees in addition to providing a chance for team building and enhanced product training. The week was a great success with critical sales information being discussed on existing products but also on exciting new products set to launch later this year. Through these product focused workshops and interactive sessions (including case studies and market success stories) the company is sure to benefit from the experience!
Inclusive of 130 Randox sales representatives from across 23 different countries, the sales conference was a multi-cultural experience with employees from the UK and Ireland, USA, Australia, China, France, Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica, the UAE, India, Puerto Rico, South Africa and Vietnam. To mark the diversity of the Randox team a series of presentations were given in the native language of Randox’s international employees; this really highlighted the global presence of Randox and enhanced the pride of Randox staff. This was further heightened by Dr Peter FitzGerald’s announcement of Randox hitting £1 billion of sales since inception.
Pride wasn’t the only factor adding to the motivation of Randox employees during the week. With the conference consisting of team briefings, training sessions and team building activities, Randox employees were boosted with a sense of support. These sessions focused on increasing their knowledge of current products, in addition to providing insight into new products which are soon to be released.
Speaking about these sessions, Global Marketing Manager, Eamon Lenehan said;
“It was fantastic to see so many of our sales teams, from across the world, in one place. It really highlighted the scale and reach of our business as a global company. The interactive sessions nurtured a sense of teamwork and debate across all product groups. The focus on unique selling points and key sales strategies for existing and exciting new products will enable our sales teams to reach and exceed their goals.”
Following this Global Marketing Manager, Stuart Penrose said;
“The interactive nature of our sessions really sang through; the main one being a “Master Mind” session that had a Magnus and 5 sales reps on the panels, all answering multiple choice questions and generating great debate amongst the team.”
All Randox divisions made an appearance from the Reagents, Quality Control and RX series clinical product divisions to Randox Biosciences, Food Diagnostics, Testing Services and Toxicology teams. To end the eventful week Randox employees were treated to a Gala dinner which was thoroughly enjoyed by all!
What is Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat (or abdominal fat) is body fat which is stored within the abdominal cavity. It wraps around your vital organs including the liver, pancreas and intestines, and as a result can have a negative impact on your health. In fact, visceral fat has been linked to increased risk of health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
It is important to distinguish the difference between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat…
Subcutaneous fat is the fat we store under our skin. It is the tissue that we can feel when we pinch ourselves, and contains blood vessels in addition to fatty tissues. Visceral fat, on the other hand, cannot be felt in such a way as it is the extra fat stored around our organs. It is the most dangerous type of fat as it much harder to identify.
No matter what your shape or size, you may be carrying excess visceral fat!
Regardless of shape or size an individual can be carrying excess visceral fat. This means that whether your doctor tells you that you’re underweight, overweight, obese or of a healthy weight, you may be carrying excess visceral fat within your abdominal cavity.
That is why BMI is an inaccurate measurement of health…
Body Mass Index (BMI) is used by many as an indicator of health. It involves comparing your weight in relation to your height to give an indication of your weight status i.e. whether you are categorised as underweight, overweight, healthy or obese. It doesn’t take into account muscle mass, age, sex, ethnicity, general level of fitness or visceral fat. Therefore, even if you have a ‘healthy’ BMI you may still be carrying excessive visceral fat, and could still be at risk of the health complications associated with it.
As a result, relying on BMI could put you at risk of countless diseases…
Visceral fat is often referred to as ‘active fat’ due to the effect it has on our hormones and body functions. It can interrupt normal hormone communications between your vital organs, and can lead to insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes. Additionally, it can affect the functions of your organs and puts you at higher risk of developing heart disease or cancers including breast cancer or colorectal cancer.
So, what can you do to protect yourself?
Factors which contribute to visceral fat levels include stress, diet and exercise habits in addition to age, ethnicity and gender. Living a healthy lifestyle will therefore reduce your chances of visceral fat accumulating in your abdominal cavity.
If you are worried about your visceral fat levels the waist-to-hip ratio (found by dividing waist width by hip width) can give an indication of total fat as well as the level of visceral fat, however the most accurate measurement of visceral fat is to measure adiponectin levels in the blood.
Adiponectin (a blood analyte) is closely linked with visceral fat; low levels of adiponectin indicate high levels of visceral fat. The Adiponectin test enables true measurement of visceral fat levels and allows for more accurate measurement of health than traditional BMI; if you have been diagnosed with unhealthy BMI and believe this to be an inaccurate diagnosis, testing your adiponectin levels can help determine your true measurement of health. Simply ask your doctor for the Adiponectin test!
Further reading:
For health professionals:
The adiponectin test from Randox can accurately assess levels of abdominal visceral fat, independent of age, race or fitness level. Assessing adiponectin, and therefore visceral fat levels, can help assess risk of CKD, as well as a range of other illnesses such as pre-diabetes, CVD and various cancers. Contact us now for further information.
The Secrets of the Aging Process
Age is associated with increases in body weight, body fat, abdominal fat, deterioration of muscles, and arthritis. However, everything in the body happens at the cellular level. Outward signs of aging that you may see, such as wrinkles and grey hair, are only symptoms of what is happening on a microscopic scale.
A study carried out by Raul A Martins, using the RX imola, outlined an experiment, investigating how we can affect our own inner-biological make-up, on a much deeper scale than muscle build-up, through exercise and activity:
“To investigate the training effect of sixteen weeks of moderate intensity, progressive aerobic and strength-based training on metabolic health of old women and men. Sixty three sedentary individuals were randomly assigned to control or exercising groups. The training group was separated to aerobic or strength-based. Training took place 3 times a week. Subjects agreed not to change their diet or lifestyle over the experimental period. Exercising group attained after treatment significant differences on body weight, waist circumference, body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol relationship, high sensitivity C-reaction protein and 6 minute walk distance. The control group only had significant differences on waist circumference” wrote R.A. Martins and colleagues, university of Coimbra.”
As shown in the experiment, exercising does not only affect our muscle mass and body fat index. It does, in fact, affect us on a cellular level.
Before outward aging symptoms are expressed, your cells, your DNA, and everything that makes up you is reacting to your lifestyle and responding appropriately. A particularly lifestyle-sensitive part of your DNA associated with aging are telomeres.
Telomeres are caps at the ends of DNA strands, made up of a combination of DNA and protein. They protect the ends of the chromosome and keep them stable. Telomeres, however, are incredibly sensitive and have a tendency to become damaged and unravel, prompting a process called “telomere shortening”. Telomeres are associated with the changing nature of our bodies, and therefore, are classed as important aging biomarkers – with their length indicating lifespan. Each time our cells divide, our telomeres shorten. After many dozens of years of cell division, these biomarkers have reached a point where they can longer become any shorter. At this point, cell division discontinues and this is where aging will occur, as cells begin to die faster than they are created. Our body begins to break down. Effects such as hair falling out and skin sagging, are all symptoms of telomere damage or shortening. Telomere shortening has not only been associated with aging, but also age-related diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimers, cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, and some forms of cancer.
There is good news, Martins noted in his experiment that exercise appears to keep telomeres from unravelling, shortening and becoming damaged, and therefore, can be classed as a natural anti-aging activity.
Through examining white blood cells, scientists can monitor telomere shortening (and damaging) whilst monitoring exercise and lifestyle of subjects. Another group of scientists in Germany conducted a similar experiment, gathering women and men of different ages to examine their lifespans relative to exercising, they noted:
The sedentary older subjects had telomeres that were on average 40 percent shorter than in the sedentary young subjects, suggesting that the older subjects’ cells were, like them, aging. The runners, on the other hand, had remarkably youthful telomeres, a bit shorter than those in the young runners, but only by about 10 percent. In general, telomere loss was reduced by approximately 75 percent in the aging runners. Or, to put it more succinctly, exercise, Dr. Werner says, ‘‘at the molecular level has an anti-aging effect.’’
(Gretchen Reynolds, 2010)
So, to put a number on it, studies show, exercise can reduce the aging process by up to a whopping 75%.
As well as it’s anti-aging properties, there are a surplus of other benefits of exercising, such as increased release of endorphins and relieving of muscular pain. Currently, there’s a good deal of research being conducted into potential drug based approaches for telomere shortening, yet these drugs are still years away. So, for now, exercise and healthy eating is the only known way to stave off aging… As if we needed another healthy reason to get active!
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Read more about the experiment conducted on the RX imola:
We Are Randox | Amy McIlwaine’s Camp Wakonda Story
Randox’s Public Relations Executive, Amy McIlwaine, tells us about her time in New York State, working in Camp Wakonda (Homes for the Homeless)
We’re celebrating the bright and vibrant lives of Randox employees, and the way in which these inspiring individuals have helped to make Randox as great as it is today. Stay up to date with the #WeAreRandox hashtag on Twitter and Instagram to hear more stories.
We were discussing our most inspiring moments with Amy McIlwaine, Public Relations Executive of Randox Laboratories, this week. She told us a story of her time volunteering with children in New York State that we knew we had to share! We hope her story inspires you as much as it did us:
Here is Amy’s story:
“During my years at school and at University I worked as a part-time lifeguard in a local pool. I’ve always been quite ambitious, so, when the time came to graduate and I decided to do some overseas work, I applied to be Waterfront Director at a camp in New York State, called Camp Wakonda.
When I say the words ‘Summer camp’ to people they usually picture expensive facilities with music suites, maybe some horse stables and jet-skis, with a love-able rogue Joe Jonas lookalike thrown in for good measure, but Camp Wakonda wasn’t quite like that!
Camp Wakonda is a Summer camp that is run by the Homes for the Homeless organisation, and accepts children between 6 and 10 years old who are homeless and living in New York shelters.
The camp has limited resources, cabins with no electricity, and various (sometimes) friendly camp companions such as bears, chipmunks and rattlesnakes (we were in the middle of the woods). Children came to camp with very few belongings – sometimes even without a decent pair of shoes. But in spite of all that, it’s one of my favourite places on this earth. Being free from the stresses of everyday life (mind you, working with 90 children at a time brings a different kind of stress!) is wonderfully liberating and living in the middle of nature brings a certain serenity.
Although we had such limited resources, we had the time of our lives! You learn to be really creative – we had themed days throughout the summer like a Harry Potter banquet, a ‘Fairytales of Wakonda’ pantomime, and even Christmas on the 25th July! That one was probably my favourite – some of the children had never had a real Christmas before. I’m happy to admit that I welled up when I saw how incredibly excited they were at receiving just one small gift.”
Smiling from ear-to-ear, Amy went on to highlight the importance of the camp she worked in, in offering homeless children from New York the opportunity to just enjoy being kids, and how this inspired her:
“The spirit of the children, and the counsellors, at Camp Wakonda is something that I had not come across before, and have not come across since. For children who have had such a difficult upbringing, they came to camp with the biggest smiles on their faces, and the smallest things like three hot meals a day meant the world to them. It was great to see them free from the stresses of their unfortunate circumstances. For me, as their swimming teacher, nothing made me smile more than when a child came running up to me shouting ‘Miss Amy, I learned how to float today!’ or when a camper who had been so scared of the water finally got in and had a beaming smile from ear-to-ear when I handed them a swimming certificate. Many of the children had never left the city, and so had never experienced some of the things that we take for granted – like being able to see the stars in the sky at night.
I lived and worked in Wakonda for three months during 2014, and went back again in 2015, as Unit Leader of the older girl’s unit. I was responsible for counselor training, and the welfare of both the girl campers and the female counselors. When you’re practically working 24/7 for three months, the children become your entire life – everything that you do is with their needs in mind. Because of this, the children are so grateful of the time and attention that the counselors give them.
The work that Homes for the Homeless does for those kids is amazing, it really makes a difference to their lives, and I’m so glad that I have been part of it.”
Find out more about Camp Wakonda in this NY 1 News coverage video, here.
Randox wouldn’t be the innovative and caring healthcare company it is today without the hard work of young people with fresh perspectives and world experience like Amy – so we’re delighted that she has brought her enthusiasm to our team! We hope her story inspired you to take part in your community through volunteering. For us, we never stop. We’re helping to improve healthcare and diagnostics through consistent hard work, because for us, this means saving lives.
If you’re looking for a career in Business, Science or Engineering, let Randox be the next step in your adventure!
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox. Visit our website to view our careers opportunities at Randox Laboratories.
Serving Up Accurate Test Results
Today, June 27th, sees the beginning of one of the four tennis majors – Wimbledon. Basking in the summer sun while lying on ‘Henman Hill’, this yearly tournament attracts spectators from all over the globe who want to watch the world’s best tennis players ply their skills on the revered centre court over the course of a two week period. But what exactly is the most important skill a tennis player can utilise? Well, many players have different strengths but the one skill that all of them must possess is the ability to serve – and accurately.
The ability to serve is vitally important as it allows the point to begin, serving accurately however allows the player to set the pace and ensure they are on the front foot. By making sure they serve more accurately, the player can be confident in their ability to win the point and the match.
Just like tennis, laboratories will aim to be accurate when ‘serving’ up their test results. Achieving accurate test results is what every lab strives for. With patient results on the line it is important for labs to use QC material that will assist them in obtaining the correct results, therefore keeping them clear of causing a ‘racquet’.
Randox Acusera is world renowned for delivering unbiased performance assessment. Our range of true third party controls are manufactured to the highest standard ensuring commutable samples that react to the test system in the same manner as a patient sample, ultimately allowing labs to be confident in the results they produce. Much like the serve in tennis that needs to fall within a target area, QC results should be as close as possible to the target and ideally should fall within +/- 2 SD from the mean. By falling within these limits a lab can be sure of accurate results and an acceptable performance.
Employ Acusera quality controls in your laboratory today and experience unrivaled confidence in your test results.
Get your slice of our control range here by contacting us at acusera@randox.com. We guarantee you will love us!
Randox celebrates women in engineering
Thurs 23rd June 2016 marks National Women in Engineering Day, an annual campaign that aims to highlight the role of women in engineering, and focus attention on the array of career opportunities available for women in this rewarding industry. The campaign is run by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) whose goal is to ‘encourage women to participate and achieve as engineers, scientists and as leaders’. As a company who aim to inspire, and actively encourage women to enter careers in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), this resonates with us.
To show our appreciation of this campaign, we interviewed Randox Engineer, Maryrose McLoone from our Randox Teoranta team. Maryrose shared with us her journey into the industry of engineering…
How long have you worked in engineering?
I began working in Randox Teoranta after completing my undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering, and have been working here for the past year. Prior to this, as part of my undergraduate studies, I took a five month work placement as a Quality Intern at a medical device company.
How did you know a career in engineering was for you?
I have always been interested in maths and science, and the general STEM subjects. Engineering had been suggested to me by our Career Guidance Counsellor in secondary school due to my interest in maths. I hadn’t much experience with engineering related subjects prior to starting college but my undergraduate studies began with the basics, so everybody started on the same level.
How did you decide which area of engineering you wanted to pursue?
I chose Mechanical Engineering as it is a versatile form of engineering that would allow me to work in both the mechanical and biomedical engineering industries. My interest in working with medical devices came about during my college work placement. Through my placement I gained a great appreciation of engineering and the benefits it can have in the medical device industry.
Tell us about your role within the Randox Engineering team?
I work as a Mechanical Design Engineer. This involves designing and testing components and modules for clinical chemistry analysers. At the minute I am working alongside other Engineers from mechanical, electrical, and embedded systems, as well as Software Developers in the development of the RX misano test jigs which will be used for troubleshooting and to aid in QC procedures.
What skills have you gained with your career experience?
My role as a Design Engineer has allowed me to improve my skills in many areas such as design and testing, communication, organisation and time management skills, as well as gaining an understanding of the relevant medical device quality standards. My position involves working with a team of engineers from various engineering backgrounds, as well as working closely with quality and manufacturing to ensure the smooth transition from prototype to production.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
As a Design Engineer you are constantly coming up with new and creative solutions to problems. You can see your designs evolve from prototypes to completed projects. I find working in medical devices in particular to be a very fulfilling and highly rewarding job. You can be assured that your hard work is for a good purpose as it results in the creation of analysers which are used to conduct a wide variety of tests and perform important diagnoses. The design of clinical chemistry analysers involves careful consideration and attention to detail, an aspect which I enjoy.
My skills in the structure and organisation of tasks have developed from working in a highly regulated environment; such traits are extremely important when designing medical devices to ensure the production of quality products. As a Design Engineer working for Randox it is rewarding to be part of team that work together to improve healthcare through the development of clinical diagnostic solutions.
Do you work alongside any other women in the engineering department?
Yes, our R&D team comprises of Engineers in the areas of Mechanical, Electrical, and Embedded systems Engineering as well as Software Developers and Scientists. In our team there are women working in Embedded Systems, Software, and Science. Each team member has an important role in the design, development, and testing of our analysers. Embedded Systems Engineers and Software Developers work on developing and testing the software for our analysers. We also have a Scientist in our team who ensures our analysers can accurately run chemistry and helps in the verification and validation processes.
Proud to work as part of such a united team, Maryrose gives great insight into the role of a Design Engineer, and really highlights the depth of roles within the engineering industry; from System Engineers to Mechanical and Electrical Engineers. It is clear that women play a pivotal role in the Randox Engineering team, working together to design, develop and test our clinical diagnostic solutions.
Maryrose discussed her work as a Design Engineer within the RX series Engineering team. Her work on the RX misano has been crucial in the development of this new semi-automated analyser, details for which can be found below:
The RX misano is the newest analyser in the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers, and will be available for purchase soon. It is a semi-automated analyser designed with usability in mind; the screen has been positioned at an optimal viewing angle for the user, a touch button has been incorporated into the design to allow for the easy aspiration of sample, and, a 7” touch screen has also made the RX misano more user friendly than previous designs. The analyser software, developed by Randox, provides easy-to-use test screens and highlights any analytical problems to the user.
For more information, and to register your interest in the RX misano, please visit: therxseries.com/rx-altona
The RX misano is currently unavailable to purchase in Germany
We Are Randox | Omagh Speed Networking promotes careers in STEM
We’re sure you’ve heard of “Speed Dating”, but what about “Speed Networking”? Randox’s R&D Scientist, Dr. Dwaine Vance tried it out to spread the word about Randox Careers in STEM!
Dr Dwaine Vance visited Omagh High School to represent Randox Careers. He sat down with us, and we discussed the importance of the event. Dr. Vance told us:
On Wednesday the 15th June I represented Randox Careers at a ‘speed networking’ event at Omagh High School. This involved groups of students moving from one employer stand to the next for a 5 minute ‘mini network’. There was two sessions during the morning involving GCSE level pupils. The aim of the ‘speed networking’ event was to provide pupils with opportunities to meet local Northern Irish companies within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) sectors, of which Randox Laboratories play a pivotal role.
We, at Randox, want to inspire students to think about their own career plans and to allow them to gather information about the local job market. By doing this, we’re also giving them the opportunity to be aware of the jobs that are available and the importance of STEM related subjects, as well as letting them see how employers value their other curriculum subjects and their personal skills and attributes. My objective as a employee of Randox was to showcase a range of careers for all abilities within the company with a focus on STEM careers e.g. science and engineering.
The importance of spreading awareness of the opportunities in science and engineering from a young age is imperative, as many students are unaware of the vast range of differentiation in different careerpaths, stemming from one subject or degree class. Dr. Dwaine Vance went on to discuss the events of the networking conference:
As part of each ‘mini network’ I provided students with a brief overview of Randox. Students were given the opportunity to watch videos depicting our expertise and to ask questions about how their interests could be incorporated within Randox. The training department at Randox provided me with pop-up stands, recruitment pathway brochures, merchandise e.g. pens, stopwatches, mug coasters and even Biochip Array Technology key rings!
Overall the students gained a good knowledge of Randox, they were particularly keen to learn about the local and global opportunities available at Randox. In addition, students were keen to know more about the veterinary aspect of Randox. It was comforting to discover that the majority of pupils had previous knowledge of the Randox brand from the press (as we have recently experienced a great boost in brand visibility through Grand national sponsorship), Randox health (television adverts) and Confidante (local radio stations).
The pupils at Omagh High School were keen to ask me about my role within the company and what my day to day roles and responsibilities are. I was happy to provide students with my research and development activities and they were interested to hear that I was involved in the development of a genetic test that aims to predict your future risk of heart disease by investigating your own DNA.
At Randox I am part of a small team of experienced research scientists that are developing a genetic risk prediction test for heart disease and myocardial infarction. This test aims to simultaneously genotype 20 genetics variants that have been previously associated with increased risk of heart disease. This Randox molecular test is in collaboration with leading University academics and will help reduce the burden of heart disease throughout the world by providing an accurate risk assessment of disease so personalised treatment can be provided to those who require it most. To quote Randox Health, “Prevention is better than cure”.
From everyone at the Randox Careers team and from Dr. Dwaine Vance, we’d like to thank Omagh High School for inviting us to attend this incredibly beneficial Speed Networking event, where we feel we have truly impacted the young minds of tomorrow. We look forward to the future of diagnostics, with you!
