Medical Scientist, Specialist (Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing), Cork University Hospital

Details of Service:

The Department of Clinical Microbiology at CUH is a consultant-led laboratory providing a comprehensive range of diagnostic services, including routine Bacteriology, Mycobacteriology, Mycology, Parasitology, Infectious Disease Serology, and Molecular Diagnostics. In addition to diagnostics, the department offers expert consultation in microbiology, infectious diseases, antibiotic stewardship, and the provision of statistical and cumulative data to support infectious disease surveillance and monitoring.

The department serves CUH inpatients and outpatients, patients in primary and continuing care, as well as selected tests for associated regional hospitals.

As part of the HSE South West health region, the laboratory maintains strong academic affiliations with the Medical and Science Faculties at University College Cork (UCC) and educational partnerships with the Munster Technological University (MTU) Biological Sciences Department. Beyond diagnostic services, the laboratory actively participates in teaching medical and biomedical science students and collaborates on research projects with clinical colleagues.

The laboratory is accredited by the Royal College of Pathologists for specialist training in Medical Microbiology and operates a Quality Management System accredited by the Irish National Accreditation Board to ISO 15189:2022 standards.

Committed to continuous improvement, the laboratory actively explores and integrates new technologies and platforms to meet and exceed user expectations. All staff members are encouraged to engage with and embrace these innovations.

Successful operation depends on a collaborative and dynamic interaction among clerical, scientific, clinical, and nursing teams, supported by close ties with third-level institutions.

Purpose of the Post:

The Specialist Medical Scientist (AST), is responsible for development, oversight and quality assurance of all antimicrobial susceptibility platforms and methodologies in the laboratory.

• Provide strategic, clinical and scientific leadership which results in the delivery of an accredited, clinically relevant, efficient, quality assured and patient centred AST service.
• Keep up to date with revised guidelines, breakpoints, and expert rules in antimicrobial susceptibility, ensuring their timely implementation in laboratory practice.
• Leads best practice initiatives to ensure that the Microbiology laboratory effectively detects novel and emerging resistance mechanisms supporting patient safety and public health.
• Provision of accurate and timely antimicrobial susceptibility data and analysis that directly supports antibiotic stewardship programs, including the development, review, of local antibiotic prescribing guidelines.
• While the primary role of this post is to manage and direct the AST function, the individual will be required to undertake scientific duties as directed by Chief Medical Scientist contributing to the overall microbiology service.

For further information about the role, contact

Name: Ms. Louise Barry, Chief Medical Scientist, Department of Clinical Microbiology

Email: louise.barry1@hse.ie 

Tel: 021 – 4922502