“I have always felt part of a family at Imperial”
Christine Larbie, Support Technician in Central Biomedical Services, joined Imperial in 1979 when she was 21 years old.
In 1985 Christine moved to the animal unit, where she was trained as an animal technician. She has worked at the South Kensington Campus ever since, in roles ranging from animal tech to support services and housekeeping roles.
The importance of technicians
Since 2018, she has overseen all the procedure rooms within the unit, from cleaning to having all the equipment and reagents ready for researchers.
Whilst juggling tasks for multiple users of the lab, Christine enjoys chatting with the researchers, getting to know them and finding out what they are working on.
Having been at Imperial for over four decades, Christine has also witnessed progress in the culture of care.
“I have seen improvements to the facilities to provide better housing for the animals and better/more advanced facilities for the researchers to do their experiments.
“Our job is equally important, and without the staff that care for the animals and ensure that everything is done with the highest standard of care, there would not be any scientific discoveries.”
Reflecting on how times have changed
As Christine looks back on her career, she is pleased to see how times have changed and how there are now opportunities for support technicians to study as part of their role.
“I’d have loved to have a different career path if I had been given a chance to study. But, at the time there weren’t as many opportunities as today.
“The young generation in CBS are lucky with the opportunities they have, my advice to any young person is to take these opportunities, get your qualifications and see what happens.”
More than just a job
Over her 40 years in CBS, Christine has seen many colleagues come and go but has enjoyed building relationships with the people around her. She has many memories of colleagues and students thanking her for her work.
“I have always felt part of a family at Imperial, with many people caring about me personally and professionally.
“I work with lovely people. Work is what you make of it. If you are willing to learn and help others, you will do well.”
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