2015 Outstanding Contributions Through Service to the Profession of Clinical Chemistry
Dr. Beastall worked for almost 30 years as a top-grade biochemist at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary in the U.K. He retired from his laboratory position in 2009 when he was elected president of the IFCC. He served two three-year terms through 2014, working with hundreds of dedicated professionals from the 89 IFCC member countries and visiting 50 countries to promote the contribution of laboratory medicine to healthcare. Dr. Beastall developed an early interest in supporting professional bodies. He served as an executive committee member of the Society for Endocrinology and was treasurer of the British Thyroid Association. He served as national meetings secretary, chair, and president of the U.K.’s Association for Clinical Biochemistry. He was elected to the council of the Royal College of Pathologists, and served as its first non-medical vice president. Dr. Beastall was a founding member of Clinical Pathology Accreditation U.K. and chaired the steering committee for clinical chemistry of the U.K. National External Quality Assessment Service. He worked on the pilot study that led to the formation of the U.K. program, Modernising Scientific Careers. His involvement in international clinical chemistry started in 1996 when he helped to organize the WorldLab meeting in London. He served as secretary of the European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, which is now the European Federation within IFCC. Dr. Beastall led the largest biochemical endocrinology unit in the U.K., which provided specialized endocrine assays for Scotland and provided opportunities for collaborative clinical research. This work resulted in more than 170 original, peer-reviewed publications and was recognized when Dr. Beastall was awarded honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.