Alison Geddis is the 33rd IBMS President: only the second woman, and the first member from Northern Ireland, to hold this prestigious office.
New IBMS President Alison Geddis was officially inaugurated at a ceremony held at the IBMS offices in central London on 1 February. Past President Ian Sturdgess joined distinguished guests from across the healthcare spectrum, along with IBMS Council members and executives, to welcome her.
Before handing over the chain of office, Ian spoke about his pride in being IBMS President, the achievements of his two-year stewardship, and his endorsement of Alison. “It gives me great pleasure to hand over to Alison,” he said. “She will lead us with passion and professionalism. She will rise to the many challenges that our profession is currently facing. I am confident that she will provide the leadership and direction for the profession, and will deliver our 2020 Strategy.”
Alison joined the IBMS in 1982. In a career spanning more than 30 years she has devoted much time to her professional body. Alison has been an IBMS Council member for the past 16 years, and has sat on several Institute committees including Membership, Education and Professional Standards, Science, Audit, and Operational. She is the Laboratory Services Manager for the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service and lectures at Ulster University.
On receiving the chain of office, Alison said: “This is an honour and privilege. I will work tirelessly to raise the profile of the profession and the contribution we make to patients, to encourage new members to join the Institute to keep us fresh and relevant, and to ensure the educational needs and requirements of biomedical scientists are met now and in the future. I will do all that I can to raise the profile of science and to encourage young people to choose biomedical science as a career pathway.
“I am passionate about delivering the 2020 Strategy, and I promise to hear and learn from as many members as possible during my term to make sure the IBMS is an agile, modern body in tune with their needs and views.”
The Institute warmly congratulates Alison on her inauguration and looks forward to working closely with her over the next two years.
