Laboratory Medicine Foundation award

9am – 9.30am BST, 10 June 2026 ‐ 30 mins

Plenary

Chair, Katharine Hayden

Laboratory Medicine Foundation award lecture, Dr Tim Wreghitt (OBE)

I have been a Consultant Clinical Scientist Virologist for 50 years. In that period, there have been extraordinary advances in diagnostic techniques and the availability of antiviral drugs, which have revolutionised clinical practice and improved outcomes.

I will set out the advances in diagnostic virology techniques over the last 50 years and explain how they have enabled better clinical care. Many important viruses such as HIV, HCV, HEV, Covid and Noroviruses were not known about 50 years ago.
Serology and virus growth in cell cultures used to be the mainstay of clinical viral diagnosis. Although the serological techniques were relatively insensitive, they often served their purpose (eg detecting Hepatitis B infection in renal dialysis patients).

In 1976, the most commonly performed tests were for rubella immunity in pregnant women and examining paired serum samples for evidence of respiratory virus infections. The large demand for rubella immunity tests has almost been made redundant by the introduction of MMR vaccine and respiratory virus infections are now detected by means of molecular tests, which can provide more timely evidence of acute infection, facilitating early antiviral treatment for influenza and having a significant impact on infection control practices.

There have been some drawbacks with the introduction of molecular testing instead of cell culture and electron microscopy, especially with respect to enterovirus epidemiology. Currently, Clinical Virology laboratories test for generic enterovirus RNA. In 1976, we could perform neutralisation tests in cell culture to type specific enteroviruses, which was beneficial for outbreak management in hospitals. Although electron microscopy was very expensive and relatively insensitive, it was very useful for rapid diagnosis of varicella-zoster virus infections, greatly aiding infection control interventions. My personal record for taking a vesicle fluid swab in Addenbrooke’s ICU, to seeing herpes viruses in the EM and telephoning the report is 6 minutes!

Speakers

Katharine Hayden

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Tim Wreghitt (OBE)

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Katharine Hayden

Kath Hayden is a Consultant Clinical Biochemist at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester.

Following training in South Manchester, Kath has held posts in hospitals in Manchester and Liverpool over a 35 year period, overseeing significant advances in analytical technologies, point of care testing (POCT) and harmonisation of laboratories. With specialist interests in endocrinology, POCT, leadership and service improvement, her latest roles have been as Clinical Head of Division for Laboratory Medicine at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Trust Lead Healthcare Scientist, Clinical Director for Laboratory Medicine and Head of Service for Clinical Biochemistry at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.  

Pronouns: She/her

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Tim Wreghitt (OBE)

Dr Wreghitt is currently retired, but continues to work part time. He entered laboratory medicine in 1977 at the PHLS Laboratory at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge after completing a PhD at Surrey University as a Wellcome Foundation Fellow.
He passed the MRCPath exam in 1982 and then conducted innovative work on developing novel ELISA diagnostic tests, which improved clinical practice, especially in transplant virology.
In the mid-1980s, he was elected as PHLS Staff Assessor and was Chairman of the Department of Health Microbiologists Assessors' Panel from 1989-2011. He was a founder member of the Registration Council for Clinical Scientists which led to Modernising Scientific Careers and the HCPC.
He was a founder member of the Association of Clinical Microbiologists (Chairman l990 - 1993). In 1999, he was elected to RCPath Council, elected as Treasurer in 2004 and as Vice President (2008-2011). From 2008-2011, he was chair of the RCPath Clinical Virology Committee and chaired the committee creating FRCPath curricula for Modernising Scientific Careers.
From 2004 – 2010, Dr Wreghitt was the HPA Regional Microbiologist for the East of England.
Dr Wreghitt has published 5 books, chaired a team that won two gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the RCPath and published over 160 scientific papers.