Some of us have dedicated our careers to the cancer field, some of us have dedicated our careers to helping people use technology to improve their lives and some of us just like helping people. We’re really proud of our work and our team here at Navigating Cancer.
Meet Andrew Duane, one our senior software engineers.
Briefly describe your role.
I’m the lead developer on the team responsible for delivering relevant education to our patients based on their health needs.
Where do you find inspiration?
In our patients. We know from their words and from our data that receiving the education helps them stay on their therapy longer. It’s not easy to stick with it, but knowing what to expect goes a long way to help them meet their treatment goals.
What’s your favorite technology and why?
Camera phones. I have a nice, big camera with interchangeable lenses and all of that, but I have to be really intentional to use it. I have to pack it up, haul it around, set it up when I see something worth taking a picture of, then pack it back up. The camera in my phone is super impressive because it has 90% of the capability at a much smaller size. They say “the best camera is the one that’s with you”, and I couldn’t agree more.
What’s your favorite app and why?
Google Maps. I loved flipping through map books as a child, and now I have the largest, most detailed map ever created in my pocket. Also, it was created as a spare-time project, and I’m a big fan of those.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
I’m going to get a lot of guff from my peers for this, but I hadn’t seen anything from either until I was in college. I’m not sure why, I just wasn’t really exposed to it. It’s a little freeing to not be tied to one side of this false dichotomy based on childhood indoctrination. Star Trek was awesome because it used the veneer of futuristic space travel to present complex social issues in a way that allowed the viewers to re-evaluate their beliefs outside the context of their everyday lives. This allowed the message to get through to them without any knee-jerk rejections based on their entrenched positions. And Star Wars had cool laser swords and space plane battles.
What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?
I like taking random drives. Just pick a direction and go. Everyone in this country gets a different experience and I love exploring it to see those differences.
Little-known fact about you that would surprise people?
I’m an engineer, I love playing with technology, but I don’t have a computer of my own. I just borrow my wife’s laptop if I need to do something my phone can’t.