Dr. Larissa Matukas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto, Head of the Division of Microbiology, Unity Health Toronto, and an Infectious Diseases specialist at St. Michael’s Hospital. Her specific areas of interest and expertise are in microbiology quality improvement, application of novel diagnostics, utilization and stewardship and antimicrobial resistance. With over 60 publications in her areas of interest, she has been sought out as an expert to contribute to guidelines on implementing quality management system in microbiology, best practices in specimen collection, and Choosing Wisely Canada for microbiology.

Marlou is a Medical Laboratory Technologist, specializing in Parasitology with Public Health Ontario Laboratory (PHOL) in Toronto.

As a member of the IQMH Parasitology Scientific Committee, Marlou has volunteered her time and expertise since December 2021 to prepare survey samples, microscopic analysis, homogeneity results, including pictures and morphologic descriptions of parasitic organisms.

Dr. Ronald Booth is a Clinical Biochemist in the Division of Biochemistry with the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital and the Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA) and an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Ottawa. He directs the Immunology and Neurobiomarkers Section of the EORLA regional laboratory at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus. He is also the Medical Laboratory Director and/or Clinical Biochemistry consultant for various community hospitals in the Eastern Ontario region.

Melanie is the Regional Discipline Manager for Transfusion Medicine in Tissue Typing/DNA and Molecular Diagnostics at Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA). She has been a member of the Transfusion Medicine Scientific Committee since 2012 and highlights the value she has gained from attending committee meetings and working collaboratively with other experts from across Ontario. 

This National Volunteer Week, we thank all the IQMH Proficiency Testing Scientific Committee Members who dedicate their knowledge and time to the proficiency testing programs. It is because of the incredible work undertaken on the scientific committees that IQMH can provide quality proficiency testing programs to improve medical diagnostic testing in health care.

In 1948, countries from around the world founded the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote health and serve the vulnerable, with the goal of attaining the highest level of health and well-being of the world’s population.  

This April 7, 2023, the WHO observes its 75th anniversary of World Health Day, and uses the opportunity to recognize the improvements of public health successes over the last seven decades, as well as the current health challenges we face.

Each April, The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) recognizes the critical role of medical laboratory professionals in the health care system.

​The Resources page of the IQMH website is home to a variety of discipline-specific Proficiency Testing scientific posters and publications.

IQMH is seeking volunteers to sit on its Proficiency Testing Scientific Committees, effective May 2023. Membership on committees consists of a three-year term of office, renewable once. Committees meet an average of four times a year for half-day or full-day meetings.

We are seeking the following member(s) at this time:

• Chemistry
• Cytopathology
• Genetics

On International Women’s Day, IQMH celebrates the achievements of women in health care. Millions of laboratory tests are performed each day that help with the diagnosis and treatment of health issues affecting Canadians. Many of these tests are conducted by women in the laboratory.

Discrimination against racialized communities, specifically Black people, is deeply entrenched and normalized in Canadian institutions, policies, and practices and often goes unseen to those who are not affected.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most commonly inherited single gene disorder among millions of people worldwide. This hereditary red cell disorder affects individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, i.e., Mediterranean, African, Caribbean, Middle East, South America, and South Asian. In Ontario, over 3500 people are affected by SCD with a total of more than 6,000 Canadians; predominantly in individuals who identify as Black.

​The prevalence of diabetes among Black Canadian adults is over two times the rate than in White Canadians.

Specifically, Type 2 diabetes in Black Canadians is caused by genetics, but also in part by social and environmental factors.

Almost half of Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Between 2015 and 2030, the number of new cancer cases diagnosed is expected to increase by about 40%.