CSCC Award for outstanding contribution to clinical chemistry
Sponsored by Siemens Healthineers 
Dr. Andrew Lyon
Dr. Andrew Lyon is the recipient of the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists (CSCC) Award for Outstanding Contribution to Clinical Chemistry for 2026. This award for outstanding achievement in and/or contribution to the field of clinical chemistry recognizes the many achievements during Dr. Lyon’s career of over 35 years where he has demonstrated excellence as clinical biochemist, educator, leader, and scholar. He has left a positive and impactful mark on practically every aspect of the profession.
Known for his collegial approach, Dr. Lyon is described as a visionary clinical chemist who understands how to best serve patients and medical colleagues by fostering strong professional relationships. In leadership roles, Dr. Lyon has demonstrated exceptional administrative and strategic skills. He served as Division Head of Clinical Biochemistry at Calgary Laboratory Services from 2003 to 2008 followed by the same role in Saskatoon from 2012 to 2024. His ability to mentor and develop others has been critical to cultivate the next generation of clinical chemists and laboratory leaders.
His service to the profession has been extensive and sustained over the past decades. Dr. Lyon has been a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (CACB) since 1994 and has held numerous leadership roles within the CACB, including Chair of the Certification Committee and member of the Board of Directors. He has also served the CSCC in multiple leadership and governance roles, including Councillor, Division Head of Educational Affairs, and most notably as CSCC President during 2015 to 2017. But what is little known among the most current members is that Dr. Lyon was instrumental in leading the very first iteration of the CSCC website. The launch of the “www.cscc.ca” domain coincided with the 1997 CSCC annual meeting in Halifax.
Dr. Lyon has received numerous awards throughout his career including the CSCC Award for Research Excellence, Donald J. Campbell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Clinical Biochemistry from the Alberta Society of Clinical Chemists (ASCC), the CACB Outstanding Contribution to the Profession of Clinical Biochemistry, the Bayer Diagnostics Scholarship from the Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA), and the AVL Scientific Award for Significant Advances in Critical Care Testing for Canada from the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC).
Having held faculty positions in medical schools at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Calgary, Dr. Lyon has made significant scholarly contributions, including 102 peer‑reviewed publications, more than 116 abstracts and conference proceedings, 7 book chapters, and numerous additional publications. His expertise is recognized nationally and internationally, evidenced by more than 30 invited talks. His research has been supported by major funding agencies such as Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. He has also contributed widely to the scientific community through service on grant review panels and editorial boards for leading journals in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine.
As an educator, Dr. Lyon has a vast depth of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students, including the supervision or advisory of several master’s and PhD students. He is widely respected for his ability to explain complex biochemical and laboratory medicine concepts in a way that is accessible and meaningful to learners at all stages of training. His long-standing commitment to education is reflected not only in the classroom, but also through his extensive involvement in continuing medical education, conference planning activities, and professional societies.
The entire CSCC community recognizes the unwavering dedication of Dr. Lyon to the field of clinical chemistry and his tireless efforts to advance it. As colleagues, learners, and ultimately the patients and public, we have benefitted from Dr. Lyon’s leadership through significant and positive contributions to diverse areas through laboratory medicine.
Cacb Award for outstanding service to the profession of clinical biochemistry
Sponsored by Siemens Healthineers
Dr. Allison Venner
CACB is pleased to announce that Dr. Allison Venner will be receiving the 2026 CACB Award for Outstanding Service to the Profession of Clinical Biochemistry. This award recognizes an individual who has made unique and significant contributions to laboratory medicine.
Dr. Venner completed her PhD at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Kinesiology & Department of Medical Science and later pursued her Postdoctoral Fellowship Diploma in Clinical Chemistry at the University of Toronto Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. Dr. Venner has been a practicing Clinical Biochemist in Alberta since 2011 and has held numerous roles throughout her career including Provincial Point of Care testing Lead, and Clinical Biochemistry Section Chief for all of Southern Alberta. Throughout her career, she has provided outstanding Leadership both within Alberta and Canada in the areas of Point of Care Testing, Regulation of the Profession, and Education. In 2023 she was awarded the University of Calgary Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine clinical Service award in recognition of her contributions.
Dr. Venner has provided medical leadership in Point of Care Testing (POCT) across Alberta, including a portfolio of >5,000 devices, >4 million tests, >50,000 operators and 30 programs. She has supported and facilitated growth and advancement of POCT in Alberta, including development of Provincial POCT strategy and the framework for POCT. Dr. Venner has contributed to the clinical practice of POCT in Canada through her involvement with the CSCC POCT Special Interest Group, helping publish the group’s very first position statement on POCT (endorsed by the CSCC and published in Clinical Biochemistry), and the first author on a follow-up position statement from the same group about POCT quality assurance practices. The CSCC recognized the importance of this group’s work by awarding it the CSCC Award for Innovation in Laboratory Medicine in 2022. The group has recently completed development of POCT Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) Recommendations for the Acute Care Setting, which have now been published on the CWC website.
Dr. Venner was the President of the Alberta Society of Clinical Chemists from 2015-17, overseeing the revision of the ASCC bylaws and Organization of the Annual General and Scientific Meeting during her term. She now serves with the Alberta Association of Clinical Laboratory Doctoral Scientists (AACLDS) as Secretary. She was awarded the 2024 Alberta Society of Clinical Chemists – Outstanding Contribution to Clinical Chemistry Award.
Dr. Venner was the President-Elect, President, and Past President of the CSCC from 2019 to 2025. As CSCC president, Dr. Venner represented CSCC at various international forums, authenticated all of the acts and proceedings of the CSCC, and presided at all meetings of the CSCC, its Council, and its Executive. She was a member of the organizing committee of the CSCC Annual Meeting: Halifax (2026), Mont St-Anne, QB (2024), Winnipeg (2023), Winnipeg (2020; cancelled due to COVID-19 – virtual sessions held), St. John, NB (2019), and Ottawa, ON (2018), and co-Chair for the organizing committee of the CSCC Annual Meeting in Edmonton, AB (June 2016), which was the inaugural joint meeting (~500 participants) with the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG).
As a member of the CSCC Educating the Public on Clinical Chemistry & Laboratory Medicine (EPOCC) Committee (2013 – 2024), she has promoted a positive image of clinical biochemists and laboratory medicine through increased recognition and awareness of the profession by government and the general public. As a member of the Regulated Profession and Advocacy Subcommittee (RPAS) (2024-2025) she helped develop educational materials and a provincial activities document to share information with CSCC membership on regulation activities across Canada.
As Head, Education and Scientific Affairs Division for CSCC (2013 – 2019) she oversaw the CSCC Travelling Lectureship, Critical Care Lectureship, Cardiovascular Lectureship, CSCC Education Roundtables, CSCC Special Interest Groups, CACB Boot Camp Prep Course, and CSCC Certificate Program on Leadership in Quality Management. During this time, she was also a member of the CACB certification exam committee from 2016-2020.
In summary, Dr. Venner has made numerous and significant contributions to Clinical Biochemistry as a Profession and her efforts have raised the profile of Clinical Biochemistry in Alberta and Canada. The CACB membership would like to thank Dr. Venner for her incredible dedication and commitment to the profession.
Congratulations Dr. Venner!
CSCC Award for education excellence
Sponsored by CSCC 
Dr. Anna Füzéry
Dr. Anna Füzéry is the recipient of the 2026 CSCC Award for Education Excellence. This award is presented to an individual or group as a mark of recognition of outstanding contribution to education in the field of clinical chemistry.
Dr. Füzéry is currently the North Sector Point of Care Testing Medical Lead at Alberta Precision Laboratories and also Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, where she serves as Co-Director of the Clinical Biochemistry Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. After she completed her fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Füzéry joined Alberta Health Services / Alberta Precision Laboratories in 2013 as a clinical biochemist supporting tertiary care and suburban hospitals and specialized in point of care testing (POCT) within Edmonton and North zones. Since then, she also gained formal professional certification in POCT, and is a recognized leader in the development, implementation, and delivery of POCT programs.
As an educator and mentor, Dr. Füzéry has inspired and supported countless students, trainees, and peers. As a co-director of the Clinical Biochemistry Fellowship program since 2015, she has shaped the next generation of laboratory professionals with skill, patience, and dedication. She strengthened the program by tirelessly supporting trainees with tools to achieve excellence including for pathophysiology learning resources, supplemental exposures, and additional rotations to fine tune the curriculum based on their personal preference. Fellows and residents in General Pathology consistently describe her guidance as transformative, providing not only technical expertise but also the values of professionalism, integrity, and lifelong learning. At the undergraduate level, she supervised numerous students in the medical laboratory science program with their fourth-year research project
Through her dedicated service to the profession, Dr. Füzéry has made an immeasurable impact on continuing education and the advancement of knowledge in laboratory medicine. She has provided leadership at the provincial, national, and international levels, chairing and contributing to numerous committees. Notable examples include serving as Chair of the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) Rocky Mountain Section, Co-Chair of the CSCC Annual Conference, Head of the Education and Scientific Division of the CSCC Council, member of the ADLM Annual Meeting Organizing Committee, member of the CPSA Advisory Committee, Corresponding Member for the IFCC Mobile Health and Bioengineering in Laboratory Medicine group, and member of the CLSI Expert Panel on Point-of-Care Testing. Many of these activities have lasting educational impact throughout the CSCC and on the field of clinical chemistry.
CSCC Award for RESEARCH excellence
Sponsored by QuidelOrtho 
Dr. Lei Fu
Dr. Lei Fu is the recipient of the 2026 CSCC Award for Research Excellence. This award is presented to an individual or group for their contribution to research directly or indirectly related to clinical chemistry in Canada.
Dr. Fu has contributed significantly to the understanding of biomarkers in maternal-fetal health and clinical applications of pharmacogenetics. Her translational research work has enabled greater personalized medicine that has direct impact on the well-being of patients. Currently, she is clinical biochemist in the Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto.
After her graduate studies, Dr. Fu completed postdoctoral research in pharmacology and molecular virology at the Yale University School of Medicine. This was followed by clinical chemistry training in the McMaster University fellowship program prior to joining Sunnybrook in 2002. In addition to her CACB certification, she is a Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Chemistry in three disciplines: Clinical Chemistry, Toxicological Chemistry, and Molecular Diagnostics.
Dr. Fu has successfully secured funding from both local and international sources, facilitating her work in advancing applied medical research to enhance patient care. She has published and presented her work at provincial, national, and international levels, where several of her contributions have received outstanding research recognition from the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM). A notable achievement of Dr. Fu’s is her instrumental role in making Sunnybrook the first hospital in North America to implement innovative assays—soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFLT-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF)—for diagnosing preeclampsia in pregnant women. This advancement enables clinicians to provide more accurate diagnostics and was acknowledged through the 2024 CSCC Award for Innovation in Laboratory Medicine. Furthermore, Dr. Fu developed a multiplex AS-PCR assay to rapidly detect five variants in the DPYD gene, which is crucial for fluoropyrimidine metabolism. This assay can be used for screening DPYD variants to identify patients with increased risk of toxicity when prescribed fluoropyrimidine therapy.
In addition to her research achievements, Dr. Fu is dedicated to education, teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses. She has supervised over twenty research students, medical doctors, postdoctoral fellows, and medical laboratory technologists, fostering the next generation of professionals in the field.
Dr. Fu actively shares her expertise through many professional bodies at the international level including Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC), Pharmacogene Variation Consortium (PharmVar), ADLM Academy, International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology (IATDMCT), and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). More importantly, she is able to bring her knowledge home for the benefit of Canadians, particularly in Ontario where she serves on provincial bodies advising on pharmacogenomic and pharmacogenetic testing and also preeclampsia screening in the first trimester.
CSCC Award for innovation in laboratory medicine
Sponsored by Roche Diagnostics 
Alberta Precision Laboratories
The CSCC Award for Innovation in Laboratory Medicine is presented to a clinical laboratory in Canada that has distinguished itself by outstanding accomplishment through innovation in the field of clinical chemistry, pathology, or laboratory medicine. The 2026 recipient is Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL). The Clinical Chemist team innovated with a provincial testing program for hemoglobinopathies.
All requests for hemoglobinopathy investigations across the entire province of Alberta (including confirmation of positive newborn screens) now follow a standardized testing algorithm that includes initial screening by capillary electrophoresis, complete blood count and iron studies, followed by reflexive confirmatory testing with gel electrophoresis and/or molecular analysis. Interpretation of results has also been standardized through the development of a comprehensive procedure and canned comments that cover >95% of cases. The endeavor started in 2022 with initial roll out by the Edmonton team in the spring of 2023. After a period of training and handover to the Calgary team, the provincial data analysis and optimization of reflex thresholds was completed in 2025, reducing unnecessary analyses and saving valuable healthcare resources.
The province wide hemoglobinopathy testing program collaborated with the Departments of Hematopathology and Genetics and Genomics, as well as Hematologists across Alberta, to design, implement, and optimize the process. The innovative program had 3 important goals:
- Transition hemoglobinopathy screening from the Hematopathology Department to the Chemistry Department by advocating for Clinical Chemistry oversight, acquiring and validating new instrumentation, and leading staff training.
- Develop and implement a provincial program for hemoglobinopathy testing that encompasses both initial screening and confirmatory analysis, developing a comprehensive interpretive algorithm, and standardized reports.
- Optimize reflexive thresholds for confirmatory testing by completing in-depth data analysis, engaging clinical stakeholders, and implementing evidence-based practice changes.
The team of Clinical Chemists at APL took the initiative to understand existing practices, design an improved provincial algorithm, and prepare the business case to consolidate testing provincially under Chemistry. At the laboratory level, the team validated new instruments, created standardized interpretive procedures, and trained staff across the province. For clinical engagement, they worked collaboratively with key stakeholders to design a provincial algorithm based on clinical needs and best practices, and conducted education for healthcare providers. After rollout, they analyzed provincial data to refine confirmatory testing criteria and guided stakeholders through updates and implementation. In one example, the optimized screening for alpha-thalassemia eliminated 350 unnecessary molecular tests/year thus saving valuable healthcare resources.
Implementation of a standardized provincial hemoglobinopathy program has resulted in consistency of both testing and reporting, no matter where in the province a sample is drawn. Development of a single comprehensive interpretative procedure has enhanced efficiency, decreased errors, and facilitated teaching the next generation of healthcare professionals. It has also ensured equal access to confirmatory testing for all Albertans, including expedited confirmation of positive newborn screening results for hemoglobinopathies. A cross-disciplinary approach that leverages the expertise of Clinical Chemists, Hematopathologists, and Molecular Geneticists has fostered continuous learning and new collaborations.
The program exemplifies that Clinical Chemists can play a central role in large-scale hemoglobinopathy testing, a responsibility traditionally led by hematopathologists. By working across disciplines, Clinical Chemists demonstrate value by managing screening interpretation and program optimization, while Molecular Geneticists and Hematopathologists handle molecular confirmations and additional testing. This teamwork ensures accurate diagnoses for complex cases. As a result of their efforts, a standardized, province‑wide approach to hemoglobinopathy testing was achieved. The success of Alberta Precision Labs’ model may encourage other jurisdictions to involve Clinical Chemistry more fully and adopt similar integrated, standardized testing frameworks.
The team now signs out most hemoglobinopathy cases in the province, raising the profile of Clinical Chemistry within the healthcare system. Their expertise has led to frequent consultations from hematologists, genetic counselors, and other clinicians, strengthening interdisciplinary relationships. The initiative has also enhanced the Chemistry Department’s academic presence at both the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary, where the team’s expertise has positioned them to provide hemoglobinopathy education to medical residents and fellows across Alberta, earning them consistently excellent evaluations.
Congratulations to Dr. Mathew Estey (Medical Lead Clinical Biochemistry, Hub Lab North), Kay Ng (Director, Hub Lab North), and the entire APL Clinical Chemist team for the success of their development of a new laboratory program.