Amanda is a Senior Medical Laboratory Technologist, specializing in Genomics at Health Sciences North. She began her post-secondary education with interest in the pathology field. Amanda graduated from Laurentian University with a degree in forensics and continued her education at the Michener Institute, obtaining certification as a Medical Laboratory Technologist in genetics. She began her career in Sudbury, assisting in the opening of the molecular genetic testing laboratory where she continued, 20 years on, into her current role in the department of Genomics.

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.