The Helen Free Award
Ms. Lam is a technologist in the molecular diagnostics laboratory of the hospital at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. She began her career as a research assistant at Rutgers University. While working at Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J., Ms. Lam worked with renowned hematologist Dr. Yale Arkel, which led to the publication of several articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as the presentation of abstracts and posters on genes and proteins involved in coagulation disorders. In her position at the molecular diagnostics laboratory, she has been working with a team led by Dr. Helen Fernandes. Ms. Lam's expertise ranges from conventional tests to several platforms of real-time polymerase chain reaction, sequencing, and Luminex bead arrays. Her technical skills cover low- to high-volume tests on both manual and automated platforms. She has also been involved in the development and validation of molecular assays. Being part of the most rapidly growing field in the clinical laboratory involves participation in seminars, conferences, and web-based presentations of the the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (formerly AACC) and other organizations to remain current. Her participation in translational studies that analyze the data from the laboratory tests has led to her contributing poster presentations at national meetings. Ms. Lam will be presenting her current project, "Investigation of IL28β Genotypes and Virological Response in an Inner City Population Infected with Hepatitis C Virus," at the the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) annual meeting.