Lab Skills for Clinical Research Staff is a one-day course offered by Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, for members of the clinical research team to learn the basics of sample handling, processing and storing.

We will discuss safety issues and how to ensure you are working in an appropriate preparation area when handling samples.

You will have the opportunity to complete a risk assessment and establish what documentation is needed to support your work in sample preparation/lab areas.

There will be hands on training in centrifugation, pipetting, cleaning up spills and packaging samples for safe shipping.

Learning Objectives:

Theory Session – Laboratory Health and Safety

To gain an overview of health and safety legislation and guidance relating to laboratory safety

To gain information relating to key laboratory hazards/issues e.g. chemicals, biological agents, specimen transport and dry ice

To understand risk assessments and be able to carry one out as a part of the case study at the end of the day

Lab Practical- Hands on Training

How to use a biological safety cabinet

Centrifugation and what to do when things go wrong

How to handle and store samples in dry ice and liquid N2

Decanting from the primary blood tubes

How to use a disposable Pasteur pipettes for serum separation

How to handle blood spillage

Packaging samples for transportation

Facilitators: Sharon Wood, Joel Abrahams, Lisa Del-Bel-Belluz, Susanne Fagerbrink, Hristo Stalev & Kelly Gleason