Abstract
The field of toxicologic pathology is increasingly embracing digital transformation, making remote work a viable and sustainable model. At Charles River Laboratories Evreux, we have developed a fully operational remote digital pathology team working across multiple European countries while maintaining strict regulatory compliance and high scientific standards. This article offers a practical experience-based perspective on how we manage remote toxicologic pathologists by promoting flexibility, fostering collaboration, and ensuring both productivity and well-being (understood here as encompassing work-life balance, mental health, job satisfaction, and social connection). With the right tools, structure, and culture, remote pathology can thrive—bringing new opportunities to individuals and organizations alike.
*Disclaimer
This is an opinion article submitted to the Toxicologic Pathology Forum. It represents the views of the author. It does not constitute an official position of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology, British Society of Toxicological Pathology, or European Society of Toxicologic Pathology, and the views expressed might not reflect the best practices recommended by these Societies. This article should not be construed to represent the policies, positions, or opinions of their respective organizations, employers, or regulatory agencies. The Toxicologic Pathology Forum is designed to stimulate discussion of topics relevant to regulatory issues in toxicologic pathology. Readers of Toxicologic Pathology are encouraged to send their thoughts on TPF opinion articles or ideas for new discussion topics to the Editor.
Introduction: From Microscope to Monitor—Rethinking How We Work
For decades, toxicologic pathology has been anchored in a physical workspace with microscopes on benches, glass slides in hand, and collaborative decisions made side-by-side. The microscope was not just a tool; it was a symbol of proximity, of physical presence, of professional identity. To many, the idea of remote pathology seemed incompatible with the demands of good laboratory practice (GLP) compliance, scientific accuracy, and team-based work. Yet the world, and our field, has changed.
Technological advances, particularly in high-resolution digital slide scanning and secure data platforms, have made virtual access to pathology materials not only possible but also highly reliable. The suitability of digital pathology for GLP-compliant primary reads and peer reviews has been repeatedly demonstrated, and the general requirements for equipment, validation processes, workflows, and archiving have been defined.1,3-5,7,8,11,14
At the same time, societal shifts have transformed how professionals think about work. The pandemic accelerated what was already underway: a growing recognition that productivity and physical presence on site are not synonymous. Some concerns regarding remote working of toxicologic pathologist have been identified and addressed, such as requirements to maintain GLP compliance, 6 or ensuring the quality of training for early career professionals.2,12 Given that the number of pathologists working remotely will likely increase, it is important to keep the conversation open and share the lessons learned. At Charles River Laboratories (CRL) Evreux, we decided not to return to “business as usual.” Instead, we embraced the opportunity to redefine the workspace for toxicologic pathologists, building a remote team from the ground up, with the intention of maintaining scientific rigor, ensuring regulatory compliance, and prioritizing well-being and inclusion.
This article shares our experience: what worked, what required adaptation, and what we learned along the way. This is not a set of generic recommendations but a real-life testimonial about managing, supporting, and growing a team of remote toxicologic pathologists in a large, GLP-regulated environment. It is also a reflection on leadership, trust, and what it takes to make geographically dispersed scientific teams not only functional but also thriving.
The sections that follow will address the core pillars of our approach: team structure and recruitment, communication and cohesion, digital infrastructure, scientific quality, compliance, well-being, professional growth, and performance evaluation. Through each lens, we aim to show that remote toxicologic pathology is more than a logistical solution—it is a sustainable and human-centric way of working.
Building a Remote Team: Structure, People, and Presence
The strength of any pathology team lies not only in its scientific expertise but also in how well it functions as a cohesive unit. When the physical lab is no longer the center of operation, building cohesion is critical and becomes a matter of intentional structure and shared values.
At Charles River Evreux, our remote toxicologic pathology team emerged through a deliberate process of selection, onboarding, and integration. When conversations do not emerge spontaneously around the office, the ability to work independently, connect proactively, and communicate effectively are key skills. Today, the team consists of six full-time pathologists, four of them based in different European countries, with more members to join. Each of them brings a unique work environment, personal context, experience level, and scientific focus but all operate within the same digital framework.
Four of our pathologists are based in different European countries (Spain, Italy, Germany) and work almost entirely remotely using digital pathology. Most work primarily from a home office. Occasionally, they also work from their families’ homes, providing care and physical presence without compromising their role or productivity. For that purpose, they were provided an additional qualified screen for whole slide imaging (WSI) viewing. This is one of the advantages of digital pathology, since the acquisition and maintenance of a computer screen are more cost-effective and easier than that of a second microscope. One pathologist works from an office within a secured coworking space. This environment offers them structure, focus, social connection, and a clear separation between work and home life.
All remote pathologists spent a period of 1 or 2 months on-site during their onboarding. This period was a key step to facilitate the transition from glass slides to digital slide reading, with the immediate availability of the local IT and digital pathology teams. More importantly, this time allowed them to become familiar with the operational processes, establish close ties with the histology and necropsy teams and research associates, and personally meet colleagues from other departments, reinforcing both scientific rigor and team collaboration. They are all keen to come on-site at least once a year to read studies using glass slides and to promote scientific and personal interactions with the Evreux personnel. Moreover, the entire pathology team meets on-site or at international congresses at least once a year to promote team building and strengthen personal bonds.
The experience of transitioning from glass slides to digital pathology was different for each member of the team. Three of the pathologists had previously worked as toxicologic pathologists (for 4, 9, or 18 years), exclusively reading glass slides. For them, the transition required a variably long period of adjustment and “rewiring of the brain,” but now they would never go back. During this adjustment period, the progress through a study was usually slower, and some pathologists experienced an increased strain on the eyes or arm muscles when using screens and a 3D mouse. The decreased efficiency of slide reading for an individual inexperienced in digital pathology has been raised as a concern by others,13,15 and this should be considered when planning a transition from glass to digital. In our experience, this is not an inherent phenomenon of digital pathology but a natural process associated with any change of technology and routine. One pathologist joined the team directly from academia, where they had already used digital pathology for research purposes, and immediately began reading WSIs without difficulty upon joining CRL. For them, the adjustment to digital pathology was particularly smooth. In contrast, when they read their first study on glass slides, efficiency was lower, and they struggled to adapt to the ergonomics of using a microscope for the entire day. Given that slide scanners have become more affordable and available at institutions providing pathology training, the number of early career professionals entering the industry who have already adapted to the technology will likely increase in the coming years. As of now, all of our pathologists are using digital pathology routinely and value it for many reasons, including the ability to quickly sort through large slide sets, annotate changes, and take representative pictures. The ease of evaluating multiple slides side-by-side provides consistency in target organ review, confirmation of findings, and severity grading, particularly when differences are subtle or in the context of blinded evaluation. The transition from glass to digital slides has not only preserved diagnostic quality; it has also enabled new forms of collaboration and facilitated consensus discussions. A challenging lesion or an ambiguous finding can be reviewed by multiple colleagues in real time, without needing to ship slides or schedule microscope sessions that are dependent on the physical presence of colleagues. These experiences are in line with the general feedback on digital pathology expressed by many colleagues in the industry.10,11,15
Critically, while most of the pathology team works remotely, two pathologists are always present on-site in Évreux. They have been working at the site for more than 20 years and are a strong bridge for the local personnel and the remote pathologists. This dual presence is not just symbolic, but it creates a vital link between digital workflows and laboratory operations. It allows us to provide real-time support to histotechnicians, ensure oversight during necropsies, and respond to on-site needs that cannot be anticipated from a distance.
What we have learned is that remote work does not mean isolation—not if the system is designed for connection. By combining flexibility with structured presence, and by integrating new tools with existing processes, we have created a model where geography becomes secondary to collaboration and shared purpose.
Communication and Team Culture: Staying Connected Across Borders
In remote teams, communication is not something that just happens, but it must be designed. Without informal hallway chats, shared lunches, or spontaneous case discussions at the microscope, teams risk drifting into silence and disconnect. For pathologists, who often work independently for long periods, this risk is even greater. That is why communication is the structural backbone of our remote pathology model.
From the beginning, we set up a multi-layered communication strategy that blends formal check-ins, scientific collaboration, and informal social contact. Each layer serves a distinct purpose—together, they create a rhythm that replaces physical proximity with relational consistency.
One-On-One Meetings: Trust Through Conversation
Each team member has a weekly one-on-one meeting with their manager. These meetings are more than just status updates. They are protected spaces where team members can share challenges, talk through workload pressures, express concerns, or simply reflect on how they’re doing.
We keep the format flexible. Some weeks focus on study priorities, others on professional development, and occasionally, on personal well-being. Over time, these conversations have built professional relationships and a foundation of mutual trust.
Team Meetings: Alignment and Belonging
Twice a week, we bring the entire pathology team together, including our colleagues at the other French site in Lyon. One of those weekly meetings is dedicated to informal slide sharing for anyone seeking second opinions on diagnoses, terminology, and grading. Since all participants have access to WSIs, this virtual format is comparable to what used to be slide discussions at the multi-head microscope. This meeting is of paramount importance, particularly for early career pathologists. The possibility to connect remotely regardless of location facilitates regular attendance by a larger group. The second weekly meeting is a forum to discuss ongoing projects, align on planning, and raise scientific or operational topics. These meetings help maintain transparency and accountability across teams and remind everyone that they’re part of a larger professional ecosystem, even when working from different countries.
Global Pathology Meetings
Being part of a global Contract Research Organization (CRO) structure, our team has access to a wider network of pathologists from all over the world, spanning different specialties and experience levels. The exchange with other sites is achieved on multiple levels. Monthly global scientific seminars address interesting or novel pathological lesions, challenging projects, and innovative solutions. This meeting also provides a space for site spotlights, introducing the people and capabilities at each CRO location. Specialty interest groups (eg, neuropathology, inhalation pathology, non-human primate [NHP] pathology, ocular pathology) connect via dedicated virtual channels and provide open monthly office hours for informal consults. A group for early career pathologists provides a comprehensive set of training materials in the form of publication collections, presentations, and seminar recordings.
Digital Pathology Meetings
Once per month a representative of the digital team meets with the pathologists at Evreux for an informal discussion of problems and challenges, potential improvements, and to provide feedback on slide quality.
Virtual Coffee Breaks: Human Connection Beyond Work
Every Friday morning, we gather for a virtual coffee break, a deliberately informal space, free of agendas and expectations. These moments allow us to share more than tasks: we talk about studies, holidays, frustrations, successes, and sometimes, just laugh together. These casual conversations have become a powerful glue in our team dynamic. They give us insight into personalities and help detect early signs of fatigue or isolation. One pathologist once said, “It’s the one meeting I never miss. It reminds me I’m not doing this work alone.”
Written and Asynchronous Communication: Flexibility and Focus
For day-to-day coordination, we use platforms like Microsoft Teams and emails. We have established simple norms: quick updates go by message, detailed points by email, and sensitive issues are always addressed by video call. This clarity helps reduce miscommunication and preserves time for deep, focused work.
Personal rhythms are also respected. Some team members are more responsive in the early morning, others later in the afternoon. As long as deadlines are met and team interactions are fluid, we prioritize autonomy over rigid synchronization.
What we have learned is that remote communication isn’t about quantity; it’s about quality, structure, and intentionality. It’s about building rituals that reinforce connection, using tools that minimize friction, and creating a culture where no one feels they are working in a vacuum.
Infrastructure and Digital Tools: Designing a Workspace Without Walls
Enabling toxicologic pathologists to work remotely is not just about sending them a laptop and connecting them to a server. It’s about building a complete professional ecosystem, one that replicates, and in some ways improves on, the capabilities of an on-site pathology office.
From day 1, our priority was to equip each remote pathologist with the right tools, ergonomics, and workflows to support both performance and well-being. We approached this setup as a long-term investment, not a temporary workaround.
Ergonomic and Professional Home Workstations
With the support of the Évreux site, each team member received professional-grade ergonomic equipment: height-adjustable desks, high-quality office chairs, laptops, two monitors, and docking stations. A backup laptop is kept ready on site to be configured and dispatched promptly in case of an emergency. For pathologists who spend hours analyzing slides and writing detailed reports, this setup isn’t a luxury—it’s essential to avoid physical fatigue and support sustained concentration.
In addition to physical equipment, we encouraged pathologists to establish a dedicated workspace—even if just a corner of a room. This psychological boundary between work and personal life helps maintain routine, focus, and a clear beginning and end to the workday.
Each setup was customized to the individual’s environment. For instance, some have integrated their office into a larger living room space, some have a separate room within their home, while others prefer to work in a coworking space outside their homes. Comfort and stability enable focus—and focus ensures quality.
Slide Digitization and Quality Coordination
To ensure an efficient integration of digital pathology into our work, we established a dedicated Digital Pathology Team that works in close collaboration with the histology laboratory and our pathologist. This team is responsible for coordinating all key steps of the digital workflow, from slide cleaning and scanning to quality control (QC) and archiving. For remote pathologists, all slides are scanned at a magnification of 40× and uploaded to the system at least 1 day before the start of the planned slide review. Subsequently, the pathologist receives information on the upload, including the number of slides, embedding scheme, and any other information necessary for study review. A custom digital QC tool is used to automatically assess image quality and flag potential issues such as incomplete tissue capture or out-of-focus regions. This tool enables standardized and consistent quality checks prior to releasing slides for review. In our experience, this tool can be relied upon for most tissues, with some tissue- or slide-specific exceptions. Quality issues usually arise in very small tissues (eg, mouse tissues), sections with variable thickness, or tissues prone to partially detach from the slide (eg, bone, eyes). The digital pathology team reviews problematic or rejected slides the day following upload—which usually takes place overnight—and promptly applies corrective actions (such as refocusing, rescanning), without requiring any additional input from the pathologist. In case of quality issues that are missed by the QC tool or the scanning personnel, the pathologist communicates directly with the Digital Pathology Team, providing screenshots with highlighted areas that need correction. The Digital Pathology Team also oversees the structured archiving of all digital slides, following strict internal data management protocols to support long-term accessibility.
Digital Slide Management and Review
Our entire digital pathology workflow is built around Patholytix, a validated, secure and high-resolution digital pathology platform. This system allows remote pathologists to:
Download, access, navigate, and annotate scanned slides.
Share cases with other CRL colleagues or for peer review across multiple users and time zones.
Maintain consistency in evaluations.
The slides are reviewed exclusively using qualified, high-resolution monitors that fulfill all recommended requirements for display size, resolution, and refresh rate1,11 to allow for accurate image interpretation and user comfort.
Digital Pathology IT Support
The functionality of the digital pathology infrastructure is maintained by a collaboration between the local IT department and a dedicated global team, composed of IT specialists, histology technicians, and pathologists. In case of technical issues with the digital pathology systems, an IT incident ticket specifically addressed to this team can be issued, which usually results in a response within the same business day. The team further organizes and schedules companywide system updates and supports local IT with hardware issues and replacements. Besides ad hoc support and general maintenance, the team organizes biweekly global user meetings, or open office hours, with important announcements, demos of new software features, advice on technical issues, and practical tips on the agenda. They also collect feedback on problems and desired new features and collaborate closely with the software provider to enhance the user experience.
Study Planning and Project Visibility
To manage timelines and study progress, we use Workbook and Power BI, collaborative planning tools that give everyone—from pathologists to study directors—a clear view of:
Assigned tasks and upcoming deadlines.
Study milestones and dependencies.
Resource allocation across projects.
For remote teams, this kind of transparency is crucial. It helps pathologists plan their workload, allows managers to proactively adjust resourcing, and reduces the stress of “not knowing what’s coming next.”
Secure Access and Data Protection
All remote work is conducted through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) with multi-factor authentication, ensuring data confidentiality and compliance with information security policies. Given the sensitive and regulated nature of our work, IT reliability and security are non-negotiable.
In short, we have treated the remote work environment not as an exception but as a fully integrated part of our pathology operation. By investing in the proper digital tools, professional setups, and clear workflows, we have created a model where remote work is not just possible, but it is productive, professional, and sustainable.
Live Support for Necropsy, Macroscopic Observations, and Trimming
Oversight of necropsies, trimming, and other technical procedures remains a key challenge, as these tasks are often more effectively managed in person. To bridge this gap, we have implemented a camera system that allows remote pathologists to follow necropsies live. They can:
Observe procedures in real time.
Communicate directly with the on-site team.
Document macroscopic observations as they happen.
Provide specific guidance for sampling and trimming that are study- and case-specific.
The camera system also makes it possible to connect with colleagues from other sites, in case additional expertise is needed. Another challenge regarding the interaction between technicians and remote pathologists is the feedback on the quality of trimming and sectioning, which is only possible with a delay due to the necessity for slide scanning. On the contrary, digital evaluation of WSIs provides an advantage for the feedback, since it is more feasible to take screenshots of single digital slides or overviews of whole slide series. Recut requests can easily be coupled with images with highlighted regions of interest, which provides more security for the technician and ultimately improves the quality of the evaluation.
These systems have dramatically improved the coordination between remote pathologists and the laboratory technicians performing gross pathology and trimming. It ensures that real-time communication and oversight are maintained, even when the evaluating pathologist is not in the room.
Of course, digital tools are only part of the equation. We also ensure that a pathologist is always present on-site. This local physical presence provides continuity, mentorship for junior staff, and hands-on support for situations where digital access is not enough. In addition, remote pathologists come on site for special projects (eg, ocular or brain trimming) or when additional expertise is needed.
In summary, we have learned that remote work does not dilute scientific quality or regulatory compliance. On the contrary, it transforms how they are delivered. With the proper systems in place, digital pathology can uphold (and sometimes improve upon) the standards that define our field.
Ensuring Good Laboratory Practice Compliance and Scientific Quality: Scenarios and Requirements
Working remotely does not mean compromising on scientific rigor or regulatory compliance, provided that certain requirements for pathologist qualifications, specimen management, facilities, equipment, archive, and quality assurance (QA) are met. 6 Depending on the pathologist’s location, different remote working setups are possible. At Charles River French sites, we distinguish between three main types of remote toxicologic pathologists (Table 1), with specific compliance considerations (Table 2).
Types of remote pathologists.
Abbreviations: ANSM, Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament.
Compliance requirement by scenario.
Abbreviations: MA, monitoring authority; TF, test facility; QA, quality assurance.
Toxicologic pathology operates within a tightly regulated framework, where every observation, annotation, and report must meet high standards of traceability, integrity, and reproducibility. Transitioning to remote work did not change these expectations. In fact, it raised the bar. We had to prove that scientific rigor and regulatory compliance could be maintained, even when pathologists were working from home offices or coworking spaces across multiple countries.
We quickly learned that digital workflows not only match traditional standards but also often exceed them, provided they are carefully designed and supported by the proper infrastructure.
Digital Platforms Built for Compliance
Digital pathology has matured in the last few years and now enables a high degree of remote working. Our digital pathology reviews are conducted entirely on Patholytix and Provantis, the data capture system. The entire digital pathology workflow, from scanning to archiving, including all components of the pixel pathway (systems, equipment, and software), has been validated and/or qualified according to current recommendations.1,5,9,11,14,16
The entire workflow and system support:
Controlled access to study data via secure logins and two-factor authentication.
Structured slide navigation and annotation tools.
Integrated QC steps in the workflow.
Each digital slide, data, and report is tied to a comprehensive documentation chain, ensuring that findings are transparent and reviewable—essential criteria for regulatory audits.
Our team uses electronic signatures to validate reports, and all documentation follows strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding version control and access rights. These workflows were developed in collaboration with our QA department to ensure that they are aligned with internal and external audit requirements.
Audits and Quality Assurance
Remote work has not prevented oversight. It has redefined how oversight happens. Our internal QA team performs audits of studies, focusing on data integrity and SOP adherence. These audits have been successful and well-received, demonstrating that the core principles of GLP (ie, transparency, accountability, and documentation) are technology-agnostic.
We also hold regular GLP and SOP refresher sessions for the remote team, adapted to our specific digital workflows. This ensures everyone is up-to-date, regardless of where they are physically located.
Professional Development and Collaboration: Growing Together at a Distance
One of the misconceptions about remote work is that it limits opportunities for professional growth and interaction. Without physical proximity to mentors, peers, and spontaneous learning moments, some worry that remote workers may feel “stuck” in isolated routines. In particular, concerns have been raised that remote working might impair the quality of training for early career pathologists.2,12 Our experience has been quite the opposite.
In fact, we have seen how a well-structured remote model can encourage deeper, more intentional scientific engagement while offering new forms of learning, collaboration, and career development that extend beyond the traditional office.
Scientific Exchange and Peer Reviews
We maintain a strong culture of peer collaboration, especially in scientific review. Pathologists routinely share slides with each other for feedback, discuss challenging cases, and coevaluate complex findings. This process is facilitated by digital tools, which allow for real-time annotation sharing and simultaneous case navigation.
Twice a week, we organize dedicated scientific case reviews, where team members, including the CRL Lyon Team, present unusual, complex, or educational cases. These sessions are open, exploratory, and often spark discussion beyond the immediate topic that includes touching on new literature, evolving methodologies, and even regulatory nuance.
Mentorship and Cross-Specialization
We have also cultivated peer mentoring relationships within the team. Each pathologist has a specialty focus/interest (eg, neuropathology, ocular, musculoskeletal, respiratory, and gastrointestinal pathology, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, image analysis) and is the team’s reference point when other colleagues explore those domains. Knowledge is shared via providing relevant articles and methodological tips.
This dynamic works in both directions. More experienced pathologists bring wisdom and perspective, while newer team members contribute with fresh ideas, digital fluency, and curiosity. Rather than assigning fixed roles, we have encouraged a fluid, collaborative atmosphere where everyone can teach, and everyone can learn.
Training, Certifications, and Continuing Education
We support and encourage participation in external learning opportunities, including:
Virtual pathology conferences and webinars.
On-demand training modules in specific organ systems or study types.
Internal Charles River workshops and scientific webinars.
GLP and SOP refreshers tailored for digital workflows.
Remote work allows pathologists to attend these events without having to factor in travel, time zone disruptions, or extended time away from project responsibilities.
CRL encourages structured Individual Development Plan processes, where each pathologist defines personal growth goals (scientific, regulatory, or leadership-oriented) and receives tailored support to achieve them.
Opportunities for Global Engagement
Working remotely has also broadened our team’s access to global initiatives. Because we are not limited by geography, team members are more easily able to collaborate with colleagues from other Charles River sites—whether in the United States, Canada, or across Europe.
In sum, professional development does not stop at the door of a home office. It evolves, stretches, and takes new forms, especially when people are empowered to share knowledge, take initiative, and pursue areas of interest.
Performance, Accountability, and Team Health: Measuring What Matters
Managing a remote team means letting go of traditional, often visual, indicators of performance, such as time spent at the desk or presence at team meetings, and replacing them with clear, meaningful metrics that align with both scientific quality and individual well-being.
In our experience, accountability in a distributed model is not more difficult, but it’s simply different. It requires transparency, trust, and regular feedback, anchored by a culture that values outcomes over appearances.
The “work product” of a pathologist primarily entails slide evaluation and report writing. There are several criteria to evaluate that work: volume, timeliness, quality, consistency over time, safety (work completed within a reasonable timeframe), and a relationship to other involved parties.
Scientific Quality: Precision, Peer Review, and Audit Readiness
Scientific output remains the core of our team’s mission. To ensure consistent quality, we use a combination of objective and collaborative measures:
On-time report delivery is tracked, with a target of >98% of reports submitted according to planned study timelines.
Peer or scientific reviews are integrated into every GLP and non-GLP report workflow. These reviews check for diagnostic clarity, consistency with protocols, and compliance with internal standards. If rework is needed, it is documented and discussed as part of continuous improvement.
Audit readiness is maintained through internal QA oversight and adherence to SOPs, including digital documentation standards. Our target is zero major deviations linked to remote workflows.
These measures provide a clear view of how well each team member, and the team as a whole, is performing, without the need for micromanagement or surveillance.
Workload, Well-Being, and Sustainable Team Health
Supporting the well-being of remote toxicologic pathologists is a core priority in our team management strategy. We define well-being as the overall mental, emotional, and professional health of our team members—encompassing work-life balance, mental health, job satisfaction, and social connection.
To maintain this balance, we use workbook dashboards to monitor workload distribution across studies and individuals. This allows us to identify when someone’s calendar is becoming overloaded—or underutilized—and proactively adjust assignments. Weekly check-ins go beyond task completion to assess task sustainability. If a team member is consistently working late, taking on additional slide or report reviews, or skipping breaks, we consider redistributing tasks—even if no concerns have been raised.
In addition to these ongoing conversations, we conduct biannual anonymous pulse surveys to assess overall team health and satisfaction. These surveys help us identify trends and refine our management approach, with a focus on maintaining high levels of engagement, psychological safety, and positive feedback in areas related to well-being.
We also monitor indirect indicators such as vacation usage—aiming for over 90% of allocated time off to be used—and keeping overtime levels below 10% of total logged time per quarter. These metrics provide early signals of whether the team is operating at a sustainable pace and help us intervene before overload becomes a risk.
This proactive and data-informed approach ensures that our team remains productive, engaged, and resilient—while preserving long-term performance and preventing burnout.
Team Engagement: Participation and Collaboration
We also track engagement in collaborative and developmental activities, such as:
Attendance at team meetings, case reviews, and scientific discussions.
Contributions to peer mentoring or training initiatives.
Involvement in global or cross-site projects.
These are not evaluated quantitatively but observed and encouraged as indicators of team cohesion and individual investment.
In short, performance in a remote setting must be measured holistically. It’s not just about reports completed but about the quality of science, the health of the people producing it, and the strength of the team behind it.
Summary of Challenges and Requirements for Remote Teams
Had digital transformation not taken place, remote toxicologic pathology would likely have remained a theoretical solution, limited by logistical constraints, slower workflows, and reduced flexibility. Teams would be more geographically restricted, collaboration across borders would be less fluid, and access to specialized expertise would be delayed or unevenly distributed. Scientific innovation would likely also be slower, as digital tools enable faster data sharing and real-time collaboration. Therefore, the main prerequisite and challenge for the setup of a remote team is the establishment of an efficient digital pathology workflow, which includes sufficient capacity of slide scanners, software licenses, home hubs, data storage, dedicated technical personnel, and IT support. For example, in 2025, Evreux has digitized more than 115 000 slides by means of 2 Hamamatsu S360 and 1 AT2 instruments, operated by four full-time equivalent technicians, with 110 TB storage capacity.
Another key challenge of remote teams is to provide sufficient support for necropsies, trimming, and slide preparation. As outlined above, we are currently addressing this difficulty by using camera systems and digital tools and maintaining a proactive, real-time communication between remote pathologists and the technical staff. However, a continuous physical presence of at least one pathologist, supported by regular visits of the remote personnel, is still required.
A concern commonly expressed in the toxicological pathology community is the risk of isolation and suboptimal education of early career professionals. We do not share this concern, since we feel that the current technology can fully replace—or even improve—training activities that were previously dependent on physical presence. Before digital pathology, an early career pathologist only had access to the slides and colleagues present on site, while a WSI can be shared and discussed in real time without any geographical restrictions. As mentioned above, our pathologists discuss slides together with colleagues from another site at least once a week—thereby expanding the number of second opinions to thirteen. Other forms of training, like journal clubs, seminars, and one-on-one mentorship—are also fully amendable to the digital format. From our point of view, good quality education and support is possible remotely, provided that a structured communication strategy is in place and that remote pathologists are equipped with key skills and mindset to connect proactively and independently.
Conclusion: A Scalable, Human-Centered Model for the Future
Remote digital toxicologic pathology is no longer a theoretical concept or a temporary solution. It’s a fully viable, sustainable, and, in many ways, advantageous model for how we can work, collaborate, and grow as professionals.
At Charles River, we didn’t begin to build a remote team as a reaction to crises. We made a deliberate choice to create a model that reflects the evolving nature of both our science and our workforce. A model that honors flexibility, prioritizes well-being, and upholds the highest standards of regulatory and scientific excellence.
Along the way, we have learned that:
Remote does not mean disconnected. With intentional communication and shared rituals, teams can remain cohesive, creative, and supportive.
Digital does not mean less rigorous. With the right infrastructure and processes, GLP compliance and scientific quality can be maintained and enhanced.
Flexibility does not mean chaos. Clear expectations, consistent structure, and shared accountability provide stability in a distributed model.
Well-being is not optional. It is necessary for long-term productivity, retention, and fulfillment.
One principle guides us: people first. We build systems not only to get work done but also to help people thrive in their roles. We foster community, not just for productivity but for meaning. And we measure success not just in data points but in connection, growth, and pride in the work we do.
So, to answer the question, we are often asked, “Can toxicologic pathologists really work remotely?” Our answer is unequivocal: Yes. Successfully. Sustainably. And with purpose.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express gratitude to the Lyon and Evreux teams—for their dedication, resilience, and openness to reinventing the way we work. Special thanks to the global digital teams for their ongoing support and partnership in building this hybrid, human-centered model.
Author Contributions
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
