IFCC Executive Board: 2009-2011 Biographies
Mr. Joseph LOPEZ, Member
Member
Mr Joseph Lopez
Joseph Lopez MSc obtained his BSc Honours in
Biochemistry from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur in 1973
and then joined the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) as a
clinical biochemist where he has served for more than 32 years.
While serving at the IMR, he obtained the postgraduate diploma in
clinical biochemistry, the Membership of the Australasian
Association of Clinical Biochemists (by examination) and
subsequently the MSc from the University of Malaya. While at the
IMR, he was active in research, the provision of referral
diagnostic services, the training of allied health personnel and
the provision of consultancy services in clinical biochemistry.
During this period, he was also closely associated with the IMR's
activities related to its collaboration with the World Health
Organization and contributed to policy matters related to the
laboratory services of the Ministry of Health. He has been the head
of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at MAHSA University
College in Kuala Lumpur, since January 2006.
His research interests and publications have been in the areas of
laboratory methodology and evaluation, quality assurance and tumour
markers, particularly the markers for primary cancer of the liver,
a disease that has a high prevalence in the Far East. He has been
closely involved with quality assurance throughout his career and
coordinated the introduction of the first inter-laboratory QA
scheme for government hospitals in Malaysia.
Throughout his career Joseph Lopez has always been active in
promoting professional activities. He is a founding member of the
Malaysian Association of Clinical Biochemists where he held office
for some years.
He was of the Secretary of the Asian and Pacific Federation of
Clinical Biochemistry (APFCB) from 1998 to 2004. He was first
elected President of the APFCB in September 2004 and re-elected in
October 2007, to serve until 2010. Together with his colleagues, he
has been responsible for the introduction of several new
initiatives within the APFCB, including the APFCB Travelling
Lectureship, the APFCB Distinguished Service Award and the APFCB
Philanthropic Fund. He was primarily responsible for the expansion
of the APFCB's ordinary membership from 12 in 1998 to the 16
members today and for the introduction of the corporate and
affiliate membership categories. He is the editor of the APFCB
News, a member of the IFCC Working Group for the IFCC News, a
member of the Editorial Board of the Indian Journal of Clinical
Biochemistry and an invited reviewer to several journals in
clinical chemistry.