Events in 2023

The tyranny of learning outcomes

A project with a purpose – the challenge of identifying and supporting research projects in the workplace

The role of the pathology practice educator (PE) was funded and implemented as part of the Covid response. When these roles were recruited to we were well in to the national Covid response, and the vast majority of the pathology laboratories were up and running for Covid testing and so the role of the pathology PE became so much more than Covid. Most pathology PEs no longer have this title and are all working with networks on the recruitment, retention and education of the pathology workforce from support workers to clinical roles, admin staff and biomedical scientists of all levels across all disciplines.

Since their implementation they have worked on numerous projects including a workforce gap analysis; registration portfolio training; specialist portfolio training; apprenticeships; outreach; undergraduate placements and training; continuing professional development and leadership.

There has been improved engagement with the IBMS; Universities; Further Education providers and even schools to ensure that all of the establishments involved within pathology are working together to ensure a brighter future for our pathology workforce.

In this session you will hear how these roles, as individuals and as a network have impacted the pathology workforce and how they can continue to do so as we move to mature pathology networks..

This talk will look at apprenticeships in Healthcare Science and specifically Life sciences. Key information around what an apprenticeship is, the different levels there are, what an apprentice can do in the lab and progression to support workforce issues and development. Sharing of apprenticeship experience, ways to progress and apprentice voice.

Digital technology has opened new doors to knowledge and made education more accessible, helping to break down barriers that once limited learning opportunities. Education 2.0; Education 3.0 and most recently Education 4.0 have shown how technology can accelerate teaching, learning and assessment in fundamental ways; education has become a networkable commodity that is no longer reliant on the didactic model of student and teacher. Myriad e-learning platforms, virtual classrooms and online resources now provide easier access than ever before to quality educational materials, helping to level the playing field for academic growth.

Despite the tremendous benefits, we must also address challenges and unintended consequences to ensure equal access and responsible use of digital technology in education. Bridging the digital divide requires concerted efforts to provide technology and internet access to all learners. Additionally, promoting digital literacy skills among educators and students is vital to enable them to navigate the digital landscape confidently and responsibly.

This talk will explore how the digital revolution is reshaping education, making it more inclusive, engaging, and dynamic. Tools, strategies and best-practice approaches will be considered to ensure we can create a brighter future for education and training within the Biomedical Science sector, whilst also suggesting ways to address the most common challenges and pitfalls, so that students and trainees can unleash their full potential.

The undeniable growth of molecular pathology in biomedical science continues and is now an established discipline in its own right. At present, the IBMS offers a 'Certificate of Expert Practice', and to this will be added a 'Specialist Diploma', the latter consisting of a number of independent but linked modules.

Andrew's talk will be providing an overview of these two qualifications, and where they sit in the IBMS's qualifications structure.

Delegates will learn and understand:

What spatial profiling is about
Multi-omic techniques on tissues
How combining spatial profiling and multi-omic approaches leads to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of disease.

Delegates attending this presentation will have:

An understanding of the liquid biopsy, including:

why is circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) sampling useful
technical considerations
clinical applications of liquid biopsies

An overview of how Bioinformatics has developed within Anthony Nolan, it's key projects and its impact moving forward. Areas covered will include:

A brief overview of Bioinformatics
Using Bioinformatics at Anthony Nolan;
The IPD reference Databases, in particular the IPD-IMGT/HLA Database
Population genetics of the HLA register
An insight into HLA sequencing and clinical impact
The future of bioinformatics at Anthony Nolan

Molecular testing is now part of the standard of care pathway for many types of solid tumours with new tests being required to be introduced into laboratories quite rapidly. As part of the quality process external quality assessment (EQA) is required to ensure that the results obtained in this testing are accurate.

This talk will provide an overview of how EQAs for molecular pathology are delivered, summarise the results for some of these EQAs highlighting some of the issues observed. It will also highlight some of the different technologies used for testing and how reporting of results is assessed in the EQAs