Tester Ashavaid

Dr. Tester F. Ashavaid has more than 35 years’ experience of teaching Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Management. She has more than 200 research publications in various prestigious journals and has an interest in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Atherosclerosis, Antioxidants, Pharmacogenetics, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology. She has delivered Invited Lectures at various National and International Meetings. She is a recipient of GS Seth Medical College Oration Award (2011), KP Sinha – PS Krishnan Award (2013) and Awadhesh Saran memorial Oration Awards (2015) for distinguished service and significant contribution to the field of Clinical Biochemistry. She has been awarded Fellow of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (FACB), U.S.A. and the Clinical Chemists Recognition Award (CCRA) in the ACCENT program (accredited) for demonstration of professional development through continuing education in clinical chemistry by American Association of Clinical Chemistry in 1991. She has been awarded the Fellow of the American Association of Clinical Biochemists, USA, by the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry in 2012 and the Association of Clinical Biochemists of India (FACBI) in 2014. She is the secretary of the Indian Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring-Toxicology since 1997 and the Association of Clinical Biochemist of India (West Zone). She is the Vice President of the Association of Medical Technology (WI) since 2003 and on the scientific advisory board of Indian Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) by the Lady Tata Memorial Trust (2015 to till date).

She is an active member of the American Association of Clinical Chemistry and the Association of Clinical Biochemistry, U.K. She was awarded the status of a Chartered Scientist by the Science Council, U.K., in 2009. She is on the editorial Board by the Asian Pacific Federation of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinics in Laboratory Medicine, Elsevier, USA.

She has also served as a member of Accreditation Committee of National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), appointed as Chairman (NABL-Suppl Committee) for Medical Testing Laboratories, DST, Government of India. She has been the driving force to make Hinduja National Hospital as the First Hospital Laboratory in SAARC countries to attain CAP accreditation in May 2006. She has been awarded the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Inspector certificate in Dec 2011 and nominated as the CAP ambassador in India to enhance local awareness of accreditation activities. She was also the Chairperson of the Total Quality Management Committee when the hospital was awarded ISO 9002 and is also a member of Medical Senior Advisory Committee of the hospital.

She is on the advisory board of the International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology and an Associate Member of the Committee of Laboratory Assessment of Drug of Abuse of International Federation of Clinical Chemistry.

She was also been awarded LTMT award for developing the Multilocus Array for genes implicated in Cardiovascular diseases. She is a recognised guide for M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Applied Biology affiliated to the University of Mumbai. Till now, she has been a successful guide to 20 Ph.D. and M.Sc. students.

She is one of the Principal Investigators for the RePORT India Tuberculosis Consortium and is involved in Pharmacokinetics and transcriptomic studies (in the pipeline) for the Parent Protocol ‘MDR TB MUKT’ and Phase II common Protocol. She is also the PI for Indo-South Africa collaborative initiative with Dr. Neil Martinson in South Africa for the Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic model development.

She was an active participant in IFCC ‘Worldwide Multicenter Study on Reference Values’ wherein various laboratories from different parts of the world, including USA, UK, Japan, China, South Africa, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taipei, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia have been involved since 2012 – 2016. This study was coordinated by Dr. Ichihara, Japan. Hinduja Biochemistry laboratory is the only laboratory in India which has been accorded participation in this study.

Recently in 2018, she has been appointed as the National Lead Investigator for Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) for India and also is a member of the European Atherosclerosis Society Familial Hypercholesterolemia Studies Collaboration (EAS FHSC) Steering Committee. She would lead as a national coordinating centre for data collection and sharing with the EAS FHSC, thus increasing the awareness and research needed for Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) in India.

Presently she is the Consultant Biochemist, Chief of Labs (Admin) & Director – Lab Research at P.D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, India.