For the past eight years, Dr. Michael Knauer has helped shape the work of the IQMH Chemistry Scientific Committee, and today he serves as its Chair. Through his leadership, expertise, and commitment to quality improvement, he continues to make a meaningful contribution to laboratory medicine across Ontario. 

Dr. Knauer is a Clinical Biochemist and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemistry. As Division Head of Biochemistry at London Health Sciences Centre and Section Head of the Core Laboratories, Special Biochemistry, and Point-of-Care Testing, he has led numerous laboratory transformation and quality improvement initiatives, including the implementation of total laboratory automation and the expansion of Point-of-Care Testing services. 

Beyond IQMH, Dr. Knauer actively supports the broader laboratory community through his involvement with the Ontario Laboratory Medicine Program Point-of-Care Testing Expert Panel and the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemistry's Point-of-Care Testing and Utilization Management Special Interest Groups. He also recently served as President of the Ontario Society of Clinical Chemists and now continues his service as Past President. 

When asked about the most rewarding part of volunteering with IQMH, Dr. Knauer points to the impact committee work can have on laboratory testing across the province.

"The most rewarding part has been knowing that the work of the committee can make a meaningful difference in the quality of laboratory testing across Ontario," he says. Through reviewing external quality assessment results and investigating discordant findings, he has gained insight into the many ways laboratories approach challenges and solve complex problems. He particularly appreciates seeing the innovative solutions laboratories develop within their local circumstances and constraints. 

Over the years, committee work has also provided opportunities to learn from colleagues across the profession. Dr. Knauer values the chance to collaborate with medical laboratory technologists (MLTs), IQMH Consultant Technologists, fellow committee members, and other IQMH staff while gaining exposure to analyzers, assays, and vendors beyond his own environment. 

Among his contributions, Dr. Knauer is especially proud of helping advance improvements to the review of allowable performance limits, updates to the discordant findings review process, and the development and expansion of new IQMH survey offerings. These efforts support continuous quality improvement and strengthen external quality assessment programs for participating laboratories.

For those considering volunteering, Dr. Knauer offers straightforward advice: "If you are curious, apply." He joined the committee early in his career and found that the experience provided a deeper understanding of external quality assessment programs, statistics, scoring methodologies, ISO standards, and the identification of systemic issues that may affect assays, instruments, vendors, or testing materials. 

He is also a strong advocate for greater involvement from MLTs. "There are tremendous opportunities for MLTs to learn, contribute their practical expertise, and help shape quality improvement initiatives," he says. "Strong representation from MLTs and laboratory operations is essential because these perspectives keep committee decisions practical, balanced, and grounded in the realities of laboratory practice." 

Through his leadership and service, Dr. Knauer demonstrates how volunteer engagement can strengthen laboratory quality, collaboration, and create lasting impact across the health care system.