Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Practice makes perfect for new science president
JUDITH TONNER
A leading scientist at Monklands Hospital has been officially installed as president of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS).
Allan Wilson took up his two-year role on January 1 and was officially inaugurated at a ceremony in London last week, making him the organisation’s 34th president in its century-long history.
The expert in cytology and practices has been based at the Airdrie hospital since 1988, and is its lead biomedical scientist in cellular pathology and an advanced practitioner in cervical cytology.
Now he plans to work to implement the institute’s future strategy until 2022 for the benefit of its 20,000 members in 61 countries who work in or study biomedical science.
He said: “As IBMS president, I’ll use my connections with fellow organisations and professional bodies to build more partnerships to create opportunities for biomedical scientists to improve patient care.
“During this politicised climate, I want to ensure that we are involved as an organisation when decisions are being made that will impact our members and the laboratory service.
“I’d like to unleash the potential of biomedical scientists, an untapped and unrealised resource, and relieve the pressure on the medically-qualified consultants and clinical scientists struggling to deliver the pathology service across the UK.
“We wish to share the service delivery burden equitably and reduce the pressure on all staff groups.”
On taking up his prestigious new role, Allan added: “I honour the memory of my parents; they were powerful role models for me who shaped my personal and professional life.”
He is a cellular pathology network manager and cervical cytology consortium manager for Scotland.
Since training at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, he has spent more than 40 years working in hospital laboratories across the world and 25 in senior-level management, as well as lecturing across Europe and in New Zealand and Africa and giving him a perspective on international laboratory practices.
Allan attained a HNC in computing in 1998 and an MBA from the Open University in 2006; he became an IBMS Fellow in 1982 and is an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists.
He was handed the chain of office by predecessor Alison Geddis, who said: “It will be a pleasure to work with Allan and help him achieve his goals as president – he has focused ideas for the future of the Institute, and I know I am leaving the presidency in safe hands.”