Clinical biochemist: Job description

Clinical biochemists carry out complex analytical work. They analyse and interpret data relating to patients' samples to assist with the investigation, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Clinical biochemists work with other heath professionals, such as biomedical scientists, to detect changes in the complex biochemistry of body fluids, for example, increases in glucose levels in diabetes mellitus.

They develop and implement new techniques, interpret results and liaise with and advise clinical staff. They are responsible for the evaluation and quality assessment of diagnostic tests and play a role in developing and managing hospital and community analytical services.

Typical work activities

A typical laboratory processes several thousand samples per day. Of these, a few hundred results will be abnormal and need to be scrutinised by a clinical biochemist. Other work activities include:

• planning and organising work in clinical biochemistry laboratories, much of which is automated and computer assisted;
• performing clinical validation: checking abnormal results identified by automated analysers and deciding if further tests are necessary;
• carrying out complex biochemical analyses on specimens of body fluids and tissues, using spectrophotometry, mass spectroscopy, high performance chromatography, electrophoresis, immunoassay and, increasingly, molecular biological techniques;
• auditing the use and diagnostic performance of tests, as part of national and international quality assurance programmes;
• identifying the cause of and resolving any poor analytical performance problems;
• searching scientific literature for evidence of specificity and sensitivity of a diagnostic test;
• devising and conducting basic or applied research;
• writing reports, submitting funding bids and conducting research with clinical staff;
• liaising with clinical and technical staff, and contacting patients;
• training staff, reviewing the need for staff training, supervising MSc students, and giving lectures to medical undergraduates;
• attending and contributing to local and national scientific meetings and conferences;
• managing a clinical biochemical laboratory as career progresses.