Paula Fernandez
President
Paula C. Fernandez, MD/PhD, FAMH Hämatologie
Appointment: Leitende Ärztin Flowcytometrie
Institute for Laboratory Medicine
Head of FACS/Stemcell-Laboratory
Kantonsspital Aarau
Aarau, Switzerland
paula.fernandez@ksa.ch
Born in Santiago de Chile, I studied Medicine and Biology in Switzerland. I first focused on basic research working in cell signaling and gene regulation before changing to a clinical diagnostic laboratory. In this setting, I found the ideal environment to combine my skills, expertise and interests at the interface of medicine and biology. I joined the field of Flow Cytometry in 2008 and have been active ever since in co-organizing educational and scientific activities for the Swiss Cytometry Society, teaching clinical flow cytometry at national and international courses and workshops, and have teaching commitments at national schools and university.
Current position
2008-2014 Head of FACS/Stemcell-Laboratory
Professional Activities
2015 Co-Chair Collection Working Group, Swiss Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
2015 Flowcytometry in Hematology, Medi, Bern; Flowcytometry in Immunology, Practical Course, Univ. Bern
2014-present ICCS/ESCCA Bi-Society Course Committee Member
2011-present President of the Swiss Cytometry Society
2009-2011 Secretaryof the Swiss Cytometry Society
Interests
It would be my pleasure to continue contributing to the community of flow cytometry as part of the ESCCA executive board: in the past 7 years I have organized 15 national educational meetings in flow cytometry and regular external quality assessment trials (EQATs) under the auspices of the SCS. In addition, I have been an active member of the Bi-Society Course committee as well as the ESCCA website committee.
These past years, my main focus and concern has been the improvement of the quality of flow data in clinical diagnostic labs by providing opportunities for continued education, organizing EQATs, as well as initiating a standardization project, for which my lab is providing trouble-shooting of technical issues.
These objectives – improving data quality by providing education and by investing in standardization and development of harmonized clinical cytometry assays– are already covered by ESCCA Committees. In addition to supporting existing initiatives, I would be interested in strengthening the ties of the society with the basis to attract more members, function as an ambassador for other national societies as well as support the professional appearance of the Society.