Having graduated with a BSc (Honours) Microbiology and Biochemistry from the University of London, I started employment as a trainee biomedical scientist in the Clinical Biochemistry Department at the then London Hospital in Whitechapel. I continued to study for part-time professional and academic qualifications, including an MSc in Biomolecular Organisation from the University of London and progressed through the vocational ranks to a chief biomedical scientist position within ten years.
Following a career break, I returned to NHS pathology laboratories taking on a series of training and workforce development roles, where tasks included: the design, documentation and implementation of numerous medical laboratory teaching and training programmes, 1997 to 2008, project manager and workplace training facilitator for a collaboration between the University of Westminster and St. Mary's NHS Trust and Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, setting up and implementing a joint workplace and University attendance co terminus degree BSc Applied Biomedical Science, 2004 to 2008. Work-based tutor for NHS Trust students on degree programmes. Project manager for the associate practitioner biomedical scientist project at St. Mary's, Harefield and Charing Cross Hospital, with subsequent production of a workplace associate practitioner training portfolio and published toolkit.
I have represented the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) as an External Registration Portfolio Verifier since 2004 and External Clinical Biochemistry Specialist Diploma Assessor since 2009; I continue to do this at present.
I joined the University of Westminster in March 2009 as a Senior Lecturer with specialist knowledge in Clinical Chemistry. In addition to my role here I continue to be a Heath and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered biomedical scientist, via appropriate continuing professional development (CPD) activities. I have four IBMS CPD diplomas and am also a Science Council Chartered Scientist.
In 2011, I completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education at the University of Westminster and subsequently gained Fellowship status of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). In 2014 I was successful in applying for Senior Fellowship status of the HEA.
Student numeracy support and outcomes from this, organising the development of an interactive local numeracy resource and the delivery of optional attendance numeracy drop-in sessions.
The provision and evaluation of a summer student placement programme, which introduces those participating to the knowledge and hands on skills required for employment in diagnostic laboratories.
A member of a team running a small service, Biochemistry Testing Services for researchers and the public. The service offers a range of tests on body fluids which are undertaken on the Werfen ILab Aries multichannel analyser.
A series of additional projects are being undertaken on the ILab Aries as follows: the set up and evaluation of an automated panel for markers of oxidant status, including reference range determination and associations between individual markers; the assessment of the performance of direct and indirect methods for the measurement of LDL-cholesterol; evaluation of a spectrophotometric method for zinc determination in body fluids. The oxidant status project is funded by a £4080 grant from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, which was received in August 2015.