Dr Sarah Pitt, a virologist and Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Brighton, has been formally inaugurated as President of the Institute of Biomedical Science.
Dr Pitt began her presidency on 1 January 2026, becoming the 37th President of the IBMS and the fifth woman to hold the role in the Institute’s history. Her inauguration took place at a formal ceremony held recently at the IBMS headquarters in Coldbath Square, London.
During the ceremony, the presidential chains of office were passed from outgoing IBMS President Joanna Andrew to Dr Pitt. The event was attended by guests and colleagues from across healthcare, marking the start of Dr Pitt’s two-year term.
Dr Pitt, who specialises in clinical virology, noted that she is the first IBMS President to be employed full-time as an academic, rather than working within the NHS.
Outlining her priorities for her presidency, Dr Pitt said: “I wish to build on the great work of previous presidents to raise the profile of Biomedical Scientists. By the end of my term as President, I hope that the professional title Biomedical Scientist is used routinely in news reports about pathology and more people in the general public will know who we are. I would also like to know that politicians and decision makers appreciate the contribution that our members can and do make to the health service – in pathology laboratories, as well as researchers and in education.”
Speaking about her focus on education and training, Dr Pitt said her aim was: “To work towards the point where the dedicated role of Training Officer is seen as a requirement within a diagnostic pathology department. Excellent training impacts on all other aspects of the laboratory service including quality, wellbeing, service delivery and, importantly, patient safety. One of my jobs at the university is as the tutor for students doing the Registration Portfolio while on sandwich placement. So I experienced first hand how committed training officers can be, but how hard it often is for them to block out the time for training activities during the normal working week.”
As President, Dr Pitt will focus on raising the profile of biomedical scientists and the essential role they play in healthcare, while also advocating for improved recognition and support for education and training roles across pathology services.