Site Overlay

About Beth Campbell Duke

I’ve had a few ‘careers’ in my life and the thread that seems to tie them all together is what I used to call being a ‘geek speak translator’. Read more about Beth Campbell Duke.

Science Educator | Family Care Partner | Geek Speak Translator

Biotech: I worked for a decade in Agricultural Microbiology, first as a lab technician and then as Regulatory Affairs Officer before retooling as a high school teacher. In addition to developing and running lab assays, I wrote lab reports, articles for grower publications and the occasional journal article. As Regulatory Affairs Officer, I pulled together data submissions and liaised between company departments and government agencies.

Upshot: Different groups of people need information in different formats at different times.

High School Science Teacher: My volunteer work in Adult Literacy and Regional Science Fair pulled me towards teaching. I went back to school in my late-30s and taught for a number of years in Science as well as in a few programs I was involved in designing/redesigning. My last formal teaching assignment was in a Career and Academic Readiness program for ‘at-risk’ students transitioning from grade 8 to high school.

Family Care Partner: This one snuck up on me as lung failure snuck up on my husband, Tony. As his health declined, I picked up more responsibility in our family. We learned the hard way just how disconnected Canada’s healthcare systems are – and how little support there really is for patients and family care partners. Tony had a lung transplant due to medical miracles, and we learned about the harsh realities of medical and social systems that haven’t kept pace with these advances.

Current Projects: I am now working on 2 projects, helping other patients and family care partners better navigate our healthcare systems and supporting other small business owners create self-hosted WordPress websites (like this one) that they can update and manage themselves.

Read more about my current projects: Navigating Healthcare Canada and Outside the Lines Communications.

Author: Beth Campbell Duke

Beth is a science educator and family caregiver for her husband Tony who had a lung transplant after a decline in health and end-stage lung failure. She's now helping patients and families navigate the complex Canadian healthcare system - informed by their lived expertise.