ISBER and ASCP BOC Announce Qualification in Biorepository Science (QBRS) for Biobankers

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER), in partnership with the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP BOC), is pleased to announce a Qualification in Biorepository Science (QBRS) for biobankers.

"The new QBRS designation for successful applicants will not only help in delineating an appropriate level of skill and proficiency for biobankers, but will also further advance ISBER's efforts to improve quality in biobanking worldwide," said Brent Schacter, Chair of the ISBER QBRS Steering Committee.

"The QBRS credential from the ASCP BOC is a visible recognition of your skills in the biobank," said Patricia Tanabe, Executive Director of the ASCP BOC. "This credential is an important step in your professional career and can provide career mobility and increased job opportunities. We are proud to add the QBRS to our portfolio of credentials that support our mission to provide excellence in certification of laboratory professionals on behalf of patients worldwide."

Upon meeting specific educational and experience requirements, candidates will be eligible to complete an online examination and, if successful, gain recognition for their skills and competencies as biobankers with a qualification termed the QBRS. Biobanks are vital to medical research and precision medicine and require qualified professionals to deeply understand and exhibit proficiency in the biobanking sciences in order to obtain high quality samples. ISBER expects that the new qualification will help further the advancement of scientific discoveries through the field of biobanking.

"Gaining professional training in biorepository management will allow our biobankers to further raise the standards of our biobank leadership," added Daniel Catchpoole, ISBER President. "ISBER is proud to collaborate with ASCP to establish the QBRS, designed to serve our research community to get the best leaders into the best roles to run the best biobanks that facilitates the best research. I highly recommend the QBRS as a professional advancement for our emerging biobanking professionals."

Given the global growth in the field of modern biobanking, there is a demand for ongoing education and professionalization of this biomedical sector. ASCP BOC has a proven record of developing credentialing programs on a worldwide level. This new qualification will help meet the needs of ISBER members as well as biobankers worldwide.

Applications are now open. For details on application resources such as eligibility, topic outline, reading list, and more, please visit: http://www.isber.org/qualification.

About ISBER

ISBER is the only global forum that addresses harmonization of scientific, technical, legal, and ethical issues relevant to repositories of biological and environmental specimens. The mission of ISBER as a global organization is to create opportunities for sharing ideas and innovations in biobanking and harmonizes approaches to evolving challenges for biological and environmental repositories. ISBER fosters collaboration, creates education and training opportunities, provides an international showcase for state-of-the-art policies, processes, and research findings, and innovative technologies, products, and services. Together, these activities promote best practices that cut across the broad range of repositories that ISBER serves.

SOURCE International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER)

Related Links

http://www.isber.org