Vancouver, Chicago/December 11, 2017 — The International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP BOC) have announced that they have reached an agreement to develop, administer, and maintain a new Biobanking Practitioner Qualification (BPQ).
The ASCP BOC offers qualifications for specific skills in several technical areas of laboratory medicine. ISBER, a non-profit biobanking society founded in 1999, represents biobankers in the fields of human and environmental biobanking. Upon meeting specific educational and experience requirements for the qualification, candidates will be eligible to complete an online examination and, if successful, gain recognition for their skills and competencies as biobankers. Both societies are hoping that the new qualification will help further the advancement of scientific discoveries through the field of biobanking.
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“Improving the quality of biobanking practices is essential to improving research outcomes, especially in the fields of translational and precision medicine. With this new qualification we will be able to advance the science of biobanking to the level required to support future healthcare breakthroughs,” said Dr. Zisis Kozlakidis, president of ISBER.
Executive director of the ASCP Board of Certification, Patricia Tanabe, MPA, MLS(ASCP)CM, said “ISBER is an international organization that develops best practice guidelines and high quality standards in biobanking. The ASCP BOC is proud to be partnering with ISBER to develop a qualification in biobanking to provide recognition to individuals working in this growing field. Biobanks are vital to medical research and precision medicine, and therefore require qualified professionals.”
“Given the global growth in the field of modern biobanking, there is a demand for ongoing education and professionalization of this sector,” said Dr. Daniel Simeon-Dubach, chair of ISBER’s Standards Advisory Committee. “This new qualification will help us meet the needs of all our members as well as biobankers as a whole. ASCP BOC has a proven record of developing credentialing programs on a worldwide level.”
The new qualification is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2019.
