OSCC 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting: A Success in Innovation
Submitted by Sean Mcfadden, OSCC Councillor
The Ontario Society of Clinical Chemists (OSCC) recently concluded its 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Oct 23-24. This two-day landmark event consisting of seven symposia showcased the profession’s rapid evolution and commitment to diagnostic excellence. The meeting bridged the gap between technical innovation and clinical application, positioning laboratory medicine as a vital navigation system for modern healthcare.
An initial focus of the program was the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence, with experts discussing the use of machine learning to identify early linguistic markers of dementia and the evolution of labs from simply reporting results to curating predictive foresight. Innovation remained at the forefront with groundbreaking presentations on “Wearable Aptalyzers” for real-time analyte monitoring using microneedle technology and the implementation of versatile electronic Quality Management Systems (eQMS) to enhance laboratory leadership accountability and regulatory compliance.
The symposia also addressed critical clinical advancements such as the development of 24 national recommendations for standardizing CSF testing, the clinical utility of NfL and GFAP in monitoring multiple sclerosis trajectory, and the provincial adoption of the Sampson/NIH equation for more accurate LDL reporting as part of the Ontario Laboratory Medicine Program (OLMP) initiatives. Furthermore, the session explored strategies to improve health literacy through human-factors design in lab reports and highlighted the success of the “Lab Report” podcast series in humanizing our profession for the general public.
This year’s OSCC meeting was once again an opportunity for the Clinical Chemistry trainees to present their work, this time covering analytical validation, method development and diagnostic quality in the fields of cardiovascular risk, therapeutic drug monitoring and pediatric safety, respectively.
During a festive evening, the society also took time to celebrate excellence within the community, honoring Dr. Peter Catomeris with the Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Clinical Biochemistry award and Dr. Patrick St. Louis with the Lifetime Achievement Award for their profound contributions to scientific rigor and education.
A sincere thank you to all our generous sponsors!
Coming Soon: A comprehensive deep dive into these sessions and detailed summaries of all symposia will be featured in the upcoming March 2026 issue of The Turnaround Times online publication of OSCC. Keep an eye on your inbox, as this detailed issue will be shared with all members in the coming weeks!