Dear Colleagues,
In 2005, the IFCC established a Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (CRIDL). Since then, the Committee has provided IFCC with high level expertise in the specific area of metrological traceability and standardization. The Committee, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Thomas Streichert, wishes to appoint two new members to substitute two officers who have completed the term of office. The time in office will begin next March.
The specific terms of reference of this Committee are:
• To review current concepts relating to the establishment of reference intervals and decision limits and to prepare state of the art position statements that respect the requirement of international directives, such as the European IVD Directive 98-79, and relevant Standards.
• To determine a priority list of measurands (analytes) for which reference intervals have to be studied considering various factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and for which the greatest improvements in medical decision making are anticipated.
• To monitor and evaluate currently proposed reference intervals for selected measurands (analytes) in the light of the concept of traceability and of the quantification of the uncertainty.
• To establish transferability protocols for reference intervals and decision limits which take into consideration inter-laboratory method variations and which have the potential to achieve better applicability in clincal practice.
• To collaborate with other organizations working in the same field.
• To work in close collaboration with the other Committees and Working Groups of SD and other Divisions for the development and appropriate clinical utilization of reference intervals and decision limits.
The selected candidates will have a demonstrable expertise in the area of epidemiology, biostatistics of popolation studies, and, above all, they should be able to provide a practical contribution by actively participating in multicenter reference intervals studies. Nomination of a young scientist is welcome.
Nominations should be directly sent to the IFCC Office (paola.bramati@ifcc.org) using the attached Application Form, by February 20 th, 2022.
The application must include:
1) Name, Institution address, telephone number and e-mail address of the nominee.
2) A full description of his/her professional career particularly highlighting the issues which could be important for his/her selection.
3) National Society’s letter of support. Following approval, the candidate will be appointed for a three-year term on the C-RIDL starting March 2022. A second three-year term is allowed following satisfactory review at the end of the first term by the SD Executive Committee following consultation with the CRIDL Chair.
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Dear Colleagues,
The Committee on Nomenclature, Properties and Units (C-NPU), intends to replace one member who has completed his term of office.
The terms of reference and current projects of the C-NPU are as follows: Terms of Reference
• To continuously provide advice in relation to the management, updating and publishing of NPU terminology. • To make recommendations on NPU for reporting clinical laboratory data that conform to or adapt current standards of authoritative organizations, and that will improve their utilization for health care.
• To provide a connection with other organizations concerned with NPU, such as the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and, by extension, clinical laboratory sciences societies, such as the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), and the in vitro diagnostics industry, to ensure that problems encountered by health care professionals in the area of NPU are considered by those organizations.
• To act as a consultant group on NPU in clinical chemistry and, by extension, in the rest of clinical laboratory sciences to international scientific panels, regional and national clinical laboratory sciences organizations, editors of scientific journals, manufacturers of clinical laboratory instrumentation and products, and to individual clinical laboratory professionals and other health care professionals. • To report and offer advice to the SD Chair and the SD Executive Committee on matters concerning NPU in all its aspects (all items above). Current Projects
• Transfer of the NPU generic database to IFCC site: help and advice on training the future IFCC NPU database manager(s) in relation to the installation, updating and management of the database, and on its relationship relations with other national versions.
• Mapping of the IFCC-IUPAC laboratory coding system to SNOMED CT.
• Securing and structural updating of information in the NPU coding system and its environment.
• Development of an international vocabulary for nominal examinations in scientific communication.
Information on the current composition of the C-NPU and its activities are available on the IFCC Website, under Scientific Activities. More specific information can be obtained directly from Dr. Young Bae L. Hansen (ysvl@hotmail.com), C-NPU Chair.
Nominations, giving preference to young candidates (≤ 40 years of age) should be directly sent to the IFCC Office (paola.bramati@ifcc.org) by using the enclosed application form, before February 20th, 2022.
Following approval, the candidates will be appointed for a three-year term (commencing in March 2022). A second three-year term is allowed following satisfactory review at the end of the first term by the Scientific Division Executive Committee following consultation with the C-NPU Chairman.
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Dear Colleagues,
Within the Committee on Molecular Diagnostics (C-MD), under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Parviz Ahmad-Nejad, one member position will be vacant for the term in office starting March 2021. C-MD is composed of 5 full members including the Chair nominated by the IFCC Member Societies. With this letter we are asking for nomination for this position.
Terms of Reference
• To foster dynamic exchanges between IFCC and molecular diagnostic laboratories and industry
• To produce guidelines on clinical validation of tests, conduct and reporting of molecular diagnostic tests
• Creation of a network of locus-specific IFCC Molecular Diagnostics Centres
• Updating the C-MD web page within the IFCC web site Current Projects
• Establish an International Network of IFCC Reference Centres in Molecular Diagnostics
• Provide data on the current state of molecular diagnostics, with a particular focus on low-income countries, and to provide information to promote quality improvement
• Develop a checklist for technology transfer from development to clinical laboratory testing
• Standardise formats for reporting of molecular diagnostic results
• Facilitate integration of pharmacogenetic testing into routine diagnostics at the appropriate quality standards
Nominations, giving preference to young candidates (≤ 40 years of age) should be directly sent to the IFCC Office (paola.bramati@ifcc.org) using the attached Application Form before February 20 th, 2021.
Following approval, the candidates will be appointed for a three-year term on the Committee. A second three-year term is allowed following satisfactory review at the end of the first term by the Scientific Division Executive Committee following consultation with the C-MD Chairman.
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The Education and Management Division (EMD) is a key resource for all members of IFCC. EMD facilitates the development of managerial skills, supports educational activities in laboratory medicine and offers critiques, advice and cutting-edge expertise on issues and problems related to laboratory management, teaching and education. EMD provides many of these educational, teaching and consultative services through its Committees.
We are inviting nominations for one Member position on the Committee on Education in the Use of Biomarkers in Diabetes (C-EUBD) for the term of office 2022-2024. The candidates should have extensive experience in the area of work of the Committee.
For further information, please visit: https://www.ifcc.org/ifcc-education-division/emd-committees/c-eubd/
Much of the work of all EMD committees is conducted by email, but C-EUBD meets periodically via Zoom and in person once per year. All National Society Members are requested to encourage appropriate members to apply for this position. Applicants who are not selected as members may be eligible for corresponding membership. Nominations should be directly sent to the IFCC Office (cardinale@ifcc.org) by 6 March 2022.
The information must include:
• Letter of support from the National Society/Company;
• Curriculum Vitae of the nominee describing the professional and/or academic career (including a list of publications), particularly highlighting the issues which could be important for the selection.
