I am currently the President of the IBMS. In addition, I am the network lead for Blood Sciences at the Scarborough, Hull, York Pathology Service, responsible for managing blood sciences across 4 hospitals.
Nigel Coles is a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science and a Chartered Scientist, recently retired from a 34 year career at Birmingham Women’s and Children's NHS Foundation Trust. For the last 16 Nigel acted as a Quality Manager and Clinical Governance lead for the Genetics and Pathology Directorate. Beforehand he was Head Biomedical Scientist specialising in Neonatal and Maternity Clinical Biochemistry.
Nigel has 44 years NHS experience as a Biomedical Scientist. In 1985 he qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science and has since worked in many roles including the role of Head Biomedical Scientist in Clinical Chemistry at Birmingham Women's Hospital.
Nigel was the IBMS Council member for 9 years and remains on the IBMC Council acting as their Honorary Treasurer. Nigel is also Deputy Chair of the IBMS Specialist Advisory Panel Quality Management Committee.
He is also a director of the Association of Quality Managers in Laboratory Medicine (AQMLM) and a Specialist Laboratory Advisor to the CQC.
Jennifer is a Laboratory Manager at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with 36 years’ experience in Biomedical Science. She manages a large team of approx. 100 staff who process >1.5 million patient samples per year. Jennifer is also the North East IBMS Council representative. She has previously sat on the IBMS Specialist Advisory Panel and has been an Examiner for Higher Specialist Diploma (HSD). Jennifer is a keen environmentalist and a key member of the Integrated Laboratory Medicine Sustainability Committee at Newcastle. By inspiring, informing and empowering staff, Jennifer aims to work more sustainably, reduce the carbon footprint related to laboratory activities and generate less waste; mainly focusing on reducing single use plastics wherever possible. Jennifer has been pivotal in attaining the Bronze LEAF Award in Integrated Laboratory Medicine in her Trust.
Dr Bernie Croal is the current President of the Royal College of Pathologists. He is a Consultant Chemical Pathologist working in Aberdeen, specialising in intravenous nutritional support. He is a graduate in both science (BScHons/MSc) and Medicine (MBChB/MD). He has spent a long career in various leadership roles within NHS Scotland, including clinical director and regional lead for pathology, NHS Scotland demand optimisation lead and chair of the Scottish Clinical Biochemistry Network. He is also a past President of the Association for Laboratory Medicine (known as LabMed) and is a fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Physicians of Edinburgh, Physicians of Ireland, Academy of Healthcare Science and the Institute of Biomedical Science.
Ian trained in Clinical Biochemistry in Dundee and Nottingham, then moved to NHS Lanarkshire initially as a Principal Clinical Scientist, and was later appointed to a post as Consultant Clinical Scientist and Clinical Lead, where he developed an interest in laboratory processes and IT. He was the Clinical Lead for the Scottish Clinical Biochemistry Managed Diagnostic Network from 2016-2020. He moved into his current role as Consultant Clinical Scientist and Lead Clinician in Biochemistry at the QEUH in Glasgow in 2020.
Ian currently chairs the Specialist Advisory Committee for Clinical Biochemistry within the Royal College of Pathologists and after sitting on many committees of the Association for Laboratory Medicine, he was appointed as President Elect in 2024 and will take up the Presidency at LabMedUk in Manchester later this year.
https://labmed.org.uk/
Karin is the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS).
Following a manufacturing engineering career with Ford Motor Company in Belfast and her native Wales, Karin joined the health service in 2002 undertaking a number of operational roles with responsibility for local and regional adult and paediatric services at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
Karin has been the NIBTS Chief Executive since October 2016. She is Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for two regional digital projects:
- the Core LIMS digital project that is replacing seven disparate laboratory information systems with a single system for all laboratories in Northern Ireland
- the Blood Production and Tracking (BPaT) project that will introduce a digital solution to track blood donations from donor through to recipient
In addition, she is Programme Director for the Pathology Blueprint Programme that is developing arrangements for a new agency for pathology services (including NIBTS) in Northern Ireland which is scheduled to be in place by 2028.
Sarah May is the former Deputy Chief Executive of the IBMS, now retired but retained as a biomedical science consultant. She has extensive experience of biomedical science and has worked on many of the IBMS's key projects in relation to education, training and advanced biomedical science practice.
Sarah is an HCPC registrant Biomedical Scientist, specialising in Virology and a lecturer in Microbiology at the University of Brighton. She has worked in diagnostic laboratories across the UK , as well as in Zimbabwe and Tajikistan. She has been an active member of the IBMS throughout her career and was awarded Life Membership in 2021. She has been on the IBMS Virology Scientific Advisory Panel since 2003 and is currently the Chief Examiner in Virology. She was elected to IBMS Council in 2021 and has been the Chair of the Education and Professional Standards Committee since 2023. Sarah regularly engages with the media, to discuss infectious diseases and explain the role of laboratory tests in diagnosis. She has given over 100 interviews and more than 800 radio interviews and has contributed to many newspaper articles. She was the Advancing Healthcare Science Biomedical Scientist of the Year in 2021.
Founder of Harvey’s Gang, retired Biomedical Scientist and former Biomedical Scientist of the Year (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgx8IOuVJGM
Nishan Sunthares is Executive Director, Diagnostics at the Association of British HealthTech Industries. He is responsible for leading ABHI's early diagnosis strategy to make high quality diagnostic technologies accessible to all who need them so that diseases can be detected and treated earlier. He is an Executive Director of the ABHI Board. In his time at ABHI Nishan has held a variety of roles including as Chief Operating Officer to build capability and partnerships to sustain significant organisational growth, and led the Association’s work to advocate for industry-critical policies to raise adoption and spread of innovations. His regular, personal interaction with government Ministers, officials and NHS leaders has been key to increasing the Association’s impact. He has extensive knowledge of the HealthTech industry and health/government policy and serves on a variety of advisory boards to convey industry’s voice on research, innovation programmes and investment. Nishan has worked in the health technology industry for over 20 years, and has held senior leadership roles in the industry across finance, market access and commercial functions.
Gordon Sutehall was a virologist working in Cambridge. He was employed by Public Health England and its predecessor bodies for over 40 years, retiring as Head of Quality/Governance Lead for the national Microbiology Services Division. Gordon was an examiner for the IBMS Specialist Diploma for many years. He continues to be an assessor for Science Council registration and a judge for the annual CPD audit of registrants. He is also a Science Council licence reviewer.
I am a Consultant Biomedical Scientist based at Monklands Hospital in Lanarkshire. I am also clinical lead for the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme. I started working in cervical screening in 1976 so now have nearly 50 years experience of working in cervical screening. I have also managed cellular pathology in Lanarkshire for many years including mortuary, histopathology and andrology. I was IBMS president from 2020 -2021, during the COVID pandemic and dealt with many media inquiries during the pandemic. I have lectured extensively in the UK and overseas including Kenya, South Africa, New Zealand and in most European Countries. I am an Honorary Professor at Robert Gordon University where I deliver lectures to undergraduates.
