Rahim and Deborah Wright: Making a Meaningful Impact in the Laboratory

While parents may hope their kids follow in their professional footsteps, it’s hard to force a child toward any career without some negative pushback. For Rahim Wright, MLS(ASCP)^CM, age 39, a lead medical laboratory scientist in blood bank at Northwell Health’s Danbury Hospital in Connecticut, his mother Deborah didn’t have to push—she just talked about her work in pharmaceutical research, and naturally planted seeds of interest in Rahim. Deborah retired at age 66 from working as a Lab Assistant V at Alexion Pharmaceuticals. She is now 74.

One of Rahim’s earliest memories of inspiration from his mother’s career happened around an elementary school science fair.

“My mom was able to secure a donation of agar plates, and I designed an experiment to swab various surfaces around the school to determine which area harbored the most bacteria.” He was surprised to learn that “the principal’s doorknob showed more bacterial growth than even the urinal flush handle!”

Though humorous, he says, “That experience stayed with me and helped me see how science could be both hands-on and revealing.”

Deborah remembers that her son “was methodical, thoughtful, and clearly enjoyed the process” of that science fair. “I was impressed with how invested he was—not just in doing it well, but in understanding the results.”

She called that project “a springboard for future academic and professional success, and it was my first real glimpse that he might go on to do something meaningful in science.”

Walking adjacent paths

By high school, as Rahim grew closer to choosing a career path, another personal event shaped his decision to become a medical laboratory scientist.

“I had a school classmate who dealt with the pain and the tribulations of having sickle cell anemia.” He remembers a day when his classmate experienced a painful crisis in class and was taken to the hospital. “I learned more about it and then I started looking at blood bank as a way to help people like that.”

Rahim’s mother never had to push him, he says, but her work did inspire him. “Having her be an example had me more ready to jump on the opportunities. Instead of starting from zero, I was already starting at a higher level.”

He credits Deborah for giving him a strong foundation in science, even though their specialties are different. “She gave me curiosity, attention to detail, and a respect for laboratory work [and] was instrumental in guiding me toward blood banking, where I now focus on efficiency, safety, and innovation in patient care,” he says.

Though her work was mostly in microbiology and his in blood banking, immunohematology and transfusion medicine, he sees it as all part of a larger tree. “[There’s] one main trunk, and that was science, but her trunk branched off into research, and I went off into the clinical side.”

Either way, he says, “She always takes interest in what I’m currently doing.”

Learned grit and determination

Rahim also credits his mom for instilling a sense of perseverance in him in a career that can be challenging, especially in the educational phases. “I was absolutely terrified of blood bank initially…but I kept working on it. My mom always instilled a sense of grit. If you’re not good at something, keep working at it. Lo and behold, that thing might become your specialty.”

He laughs when he says, “Who would think 17 years later I’d be the lead scientist of blood bank and speaking at ASCP conferences?”

And his work continues to have not only a real-world impact—he’s driving change in making safer transfusions for sickle cell and oncology patients—but a personal one. “My dad’s going through heart issues. It affects people we know personally, and that helps drive passion… Any way we can help make transfusion medicine better, I’m definitely a volunteer.”

A meaningful impact

Deborah sees Rahim as already having made “a meaningful impact,” pointing to his advocacy for a national alloantibody exchange; his commitment to reducing blood wastage during shortages; and his focus on reducing turnaround times and cutting reagent costs without compromising quality.

Deborah is also awed by his “commitment to collaboration.” She says, “He’s not someone who constantly says ‘I,’ because many of his biggest wins were team efforts.” She watches him actively work to break down silos between departments and hospitals so that everyone can succeed together.

“That kind of inclusive leadership is helping shift the culture of lab medicine toward one that values shared goals, efficiency, and teamwork,” Deborah says.