Dr Susan Best

Following qualification as a medical scientist, Susan was employed in several pathology laboratories around Australia before spending 3 years in the UK at the Central Public Health Laboratory. On her return to Australia in 1990, she joined the National Serology Reference Laboratory (NRL) and over the following ten years obtained a Masters of Applied Science by Research and was seconded as a short term professional to the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva. Susan was the Director of NRL and of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Diagnostics and Laboratory Support for HIV/AIDS and Other Blood-borne Infections for 8.5 years, retiring from these roles in March 2018. She has been a member of the expert reference committees for Australian National HIV and Hepatitis C Testing Policies and technical working groups. Susan has been engaged by WHO as a technical expert in proficiency testing and regulation of diagnostic medical devices to assist with development of WHO guidelines on these subjects. She has undertaken many consultancies in developing countries, including Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines, reviewing policies and practices relating to laboratory and point-of-care testing for infectious diseases and laboratory quality management systems.