Chris Lambert

Chris started as a senior biomedical scientist at KCH in the Prenatal Diagnosis laboratory in 1997. Prior to this he had worked at Haematology laboratories in two district general hospitals and one private laboratory, and felt this post was an opportunity to be involved with the relatively new field of molecular diagnostics. The prenatal diagnosis laboratory used these techniques for a range of inherited haematological disorders and he was involved with the rapid changes in techniques used at KCH in this area. The analysis has gone from Southern blotting using radioactive gene probes to rapid PCR based techniques. Gene sequencing has moved from laborious manual methods using hand poured gel plates and radioactive labelled primers to fluorescent probes and rapid automated sequencing.

In his first year at KCH he completed a MSc in Applied Haematology with a project identifying the mutations in the factor VIII gene that cause haemophilia.

In 2008 he became the manager of the Red Cell Protein Laboratory, while this was a move away from the molecular diagnostic area this enabled him to develop his management skills while maintaining his expertise in red cell haematology.

In 2011 he completed an MBA and in 2012 became the service delivery manager for the Reference Haematology Section, this encompasses the Red Cell Centre and the Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Centre also maintaining his scientific role in the Red Cell Protein Laboratory.  He continues to work closely with the sickle cell and thalassaemia programme centre assisting and presenting at the national training days. During this time the Kingspath pathology laboratory at KCH became part of the joint venture with Viapath at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital.