UAB School of Health Professions Current News

Clinical Laboratory Science Info Session Feb. 12

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Created on January 11, 2013

Want to work in the healthcare industry but don’t want to work with patients? You might want look into clinical laboratory science where professionals perform critical lab tests to help physicians diagnose patients.

“With the proliferation of new laboratory tests, the expansion of molecular-based testing, and an increasingly complex laboratory test menu for physicians,  this profession is critical in reducing unnecessary testing and  providing cost effective and high quality decision support to all healthcare providers,” said Janelle Chiasera, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences.

Clinical Laboratory professionals are ranked in the Top 20 in the “2013 Best Healthcare Jobs” by U.S. News & World Report.  Nearly 24,000 more professionals are expected to be added by the end of the decade.

“Students often tell me a career in clinical laboratory, such as a hospital, is exactly what they are looking for and they are thrilled to know UAB has a strong Clinical Laboratory Science program,” said Michelle Brown, MS, MT (ASCP) SBB, assistant professor in the UAB Clinical Laboratory Science Program. “CLS is perfect for students who are looking for a clinical career, not one in research.”

Clinical laboratory scientists perform a full array of complex tests in five major areas of the laboratory including hematology, chemistry, transfusion medicine, microbiology, and Molecular Diagnostics.  The results generated are provided to physicians and other healthcare providers to aid in making a clinical diagnosis, adjusting treatment, and developing management plans for those in need .

“The clinical laboratory is constantly evolving as more complex testing such as molecular diagnostics is implemented.  This has produced an increased demand for well-educated and highly motivated professionals,” said Brown.

The department in the School of Health Professions offers a master’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science. Graduates could also earn the master’s degree with a certificate in Cytotechnology.

“Cytotechnologists work closely with pathologists to diagnose and manage infectious, pre-malignant, and malignant diseases by microscopically evaluating cells obtained from all body sites,” said Vivian Pijuan-Thompson, Ph.D., director of the Cytology program.

UAB is one of only two Cytology programs in the nation to provide Hologic image microscope training to its students.

An information session about the master’s degree in clinical laboratory science will be offered on Tuesday, Feb. 12 from 3 -4 p.m. in the School of Nursing building room 1027. For those who can’t attend in person, the info session will be broadcasted live as well as recorded. To register, email Michelle Brown at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .