Webster Lab Consulting

Craig Webster

Consultant clinical scientist. Pathology services, laboratory quality and laboratory software.

Simulated biological variation: sixteen people with eight results each. Each person's results stay close to their own set point and cover only part of the population reference interval. One person's last result rises well beyond their usual range while staying inside the interval.Population reference interval
Biological variation, simulated: sixteen people, eight results each. Each person stays close to their own set point and uses only part of the population reference interval. The change in gold matters for that person, yet still falls inside the interval.

Profile

Consultant clinical scientist in clinical biochemistry and Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, with a career that runs from analytical method development to leading multi-site pathology services.

Professional interests are how pathology services are organised, how analytical quality is specified and assured, and how laboratory data and software can be made useful to the people who depend on them. Clinical interests are phaeochromocytoma and vitamin D metabolism.

Teaches clinical data interpretation and mass spectrometry, and speaks at national and international meetings. Independent work is undertaken as Webster Lab Consulting.

Expertise

Career

  1. 2004–present

    Consultant Clinical Scientist

    NHS teaching hospital trust

    Independent practitioner in clinical biochemistry in a large multi-site laboratory service.

    1. Clinical service lead for biochemistry, immunology, toxicology and point-of-care testing 2019–2020

      Service delivery across four hospital sites and more than 120 whole-time-equivalent staff, with responsibility for clinical leadership and for quality to ISO 15189.

    2. Clinical lead for blood sciences 2013–2019

      Automated biochemistry and haematology. Member of the team that built a new laboratory, then led the implementation of an automated track handling more than 4,500 tubes a day, around 4.5 million tests a year.

    3. Head of department, biochemistry and immunology 2011–2013

      Clinical leadership of the department, with continued responsibility for specialist chemistry, research and development.

    4. Consultant clinical scientist, biochemistry and immunology 2004–2011

      Service development, procurement and business cases, including mass spectrometry and a new toxicology service. Developed automated methods for vitamin D at 80,000 samples a year. Training lead for clinical scientists.

  2. 2001–2004

    Principal Clinical Scientist

    Nottingham City Hospital

    Electrophoresis and Down's syndrome screening services alongside general clinical biochemistry. Developed capillary electrophoresis methods for the diagnosis and monitoring of multiple myeloma.

  3. 1999–2001

    Senior Clinical Scientist

    Nottingham City Hospital

    Development and implementation of point-of-care testing, and clinical support for general clinical biochemistry.

  4. 1995–2001

    Senior Clinical Scientist

    Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford

    Clinical support for general clinical biochemistry and implementation of a quality management system.

  5. 1992–1995

    Clinical Scientist in training

    Leeds General Infirmary

    Master's research on a method for the glycosylation patterns of proteins in the acute phase response.

Qualifications

  1. 2002

    Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath)

  2. 1996

    Master's degree in clinical biochemistry, University of Manchester

  3. 1992

    BSc (Hons) Biochemistry and Food Science, University of Leeds

  4. Registered Clinical Scientist; Chartered Scientist (CSci)

Roles and memberships

  • Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Birmingham
  • Course leader in clinical tandem mass spectrometry and in clinical interpretation, University of Greenwich
  • Expert member, EFLM Working Group on Biological Variation
  • Member, RCPath Pathology Informatics Group
  • Member, Association for Laboratory Medicine

Previously

  • Chair, Communications and Publications Division, European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM)
  • Vice chair and member, Communications and Publications Division, International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC)
  • Regional chair, Royal College of Pathologists
  • Member, demand management group, Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine

Projects

Publications

Papers indexed in PubMed, newest first, refreshed from PubMed whenever the site is built. Other publications follow.

2025

  1. A standard to report biological variation data studies - based on an expert opinion.Bartlett WA, Sandberg S, Carobene A, …, Webster C, et al.Clin Chem Lab Med

2024

  1. Age-specific Reference Intervals of Abbott Intact PTH-Potential Impacts on Clinical Care.Kalaria T, Lawson AJ, Duffy J, …, Webster C, et al.J Endocr Soc
  2. Analytical performance specifications based on biological variation data - considerations, strengths and limitations.Sandberg S, Coskun A, Carobene A, …, Webster C, et al.Clin Chem Lab Med
  3. Vitamin D deficiency and duration of COVID-19 symptoms in UK healthcare workers.Chadda KR, Roberts SA, Lugg ST, …, Webster C, et al.Front Med (Lausanne)

2023

  1. UK Reference Intervals for Parathyroid Hormone Using Abbott Methods.Mirzazadeh M, Webster C, Weerasinghe G, Morris T, James T, Shine B.Br J Biomed Sci
  2. 11β-HSD1 inhibition in men mitigates prednisolone-induced adverse effects in a proof-of-concept randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial.Othonos N, Pofi R, Arvaniti A, …, Webster C, et al.Nat Commun

2022

  1. Interlaboratory comparison study of immunosuppressant analysis using a fully automated LC-MS/MS system.Zahr N, Duce H, Duffy J, Webster C, Rentsch KM.Clin Chem Lab Med
  2. Vitamin D status: a U-shaped relationship for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in UK healthcare workers.Lugg ST, Mackay WR, Faniyi AA, …, Webster C, et al.BMJ Open Respir Res

2021

  1. Vitamin D status and seroconversion for COVID-19 in UK healthcare workers.Faniyi AA, Lugg ST, Faustini SE, …, Webster C, et al.Eur Respir J
  2. Genetic polymorphisms, vitamin D binding protein and vitamin D deficiency in COVID-19.Faniyi AA, Lugg ST, Faustini SE, …, Webster C, et al.Eur Respir J

2020

  1. Co-administration of 5α-reductase Inhibitors Worsens the Adverse Metabolic Effects of Prescribed Glucocorticoids.Othonos N, Marjot T, Woods C, …, Webster C, et al.J Clin Endocrinol Metab
  2. Rapid implementation and validation of a cold-chain free SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing workflow to support surge capacity.Bosworth A, Whalley C, Poxon C, …, Webster C, et al.J Clin Virol
  3. Vitamin B12 deficiency and altered one-carbon metabolites in early pregnancy is associated with maternal obesity and dyslipidaemia.Adaikalakoteswari A, Wood C, Mina TH, …, Webster C, et al.Sci Rep
  4. Development and Clinical Application of a Prednisolone/Cortisol Assay to Determine Adherence to Maintenance Oral Prednisolone in Severe Asthma.Mansur AH, Hassan M, Duffy J, Webster C.Chest

2017

  1. Hepcidin detects iron deficiency in Sri Lankan adolescents with a high burden of hemoglobinopathy: A diagnostic test accuracy study.Wray K, Allen A, Evans E, …, Webster C, et al.Am J Hematol

2016

  1. Simultaneous detection of five one-carbon metabolites in plasma using stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.Adaikalakoteswari A, Webster C, Goljan I, Saravanan P.J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci

2015

  1. Rapidly Escalating Hepcidin and Associated Serum Iron Starvation Are Features of the Acute Response to Typhoid Infection in Humans.Darton TC, Blohmke CJ, Giannoulatou E, …, Webster C, et al.PLoS Negl Trop Dis
  2. Low maternal vitamin B12 status is associated with lower cord blood HDL cholesterol in white Caucasians living in the UK.Adaikalakoteswari A, Vatish M, Lawson A, …, Webster C, et al.Nutrients
  3. Hepcidin is suppressed by erythropoiesis in hemoglobin E β-thalassemia and β-thalassemia trait.Jones E, Pasricha SR, Allen A, …, Webster C, et al.Blood

2014

  1. Distinct patterns of hepcidin and iron regulation during HIV-1, HBV, and HCV infections.Armitage AE, Stacey AR, Giannoulatou E, …, Webster C, et al.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

2013

  1. Subclinical thyroid dysfunction and cardiac function amongst minority ethnic groups in the UK: a cross sectional study.Gill PS, Patel JV, Chackathayil J, …, Webster C, et al.Int J Cardiol
  2. Relationship of total 25-OH vitamin D concentrations to Indices of Multiple Deprivation: geoanalysis of laboratory results.Webster C.Ann Clin Biochem
  3. Vitamin D deficiency amongst minority ethnic groups in the UK: a cross sectional study.Patel JV, Chackathayil J, Hughes EA, Webster C, Lip GY, Gill PS.Int J Cardiol
  4. Circulating DBP level and prognosis in operated lung cancer: an exploration of pathophysiology.Turner AM, McGowan L, Millen A, …, Webster C, et al.Eur Respir J

2011

  1. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the measurement of serum mevalonic acid: a novel marker of hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibition by statins.Waldron J, Webster C.Ann Clin Biochem

2010

  1. Measurement of urinary metadrenaline and normetadrenaline by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma.Marrington R, Johnston J, Knowles S, Webster C.Ann Clin Biochem
  2. Ethnic differences in umbilical cord blood vitamin D and parathyroid hormone--South Asians compared to Whites born in the UK.Sulaiman RA, Sharratt CL, Lee PW, …, Webster C, et al.J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med

Other publications

  1. Gallier S, Zou X, Hodson J, Atia J, Webster C, et al. The impact of electronic order communications on laboratory turnaround times in acute hospital care. medRxiv preprint. 2024.
  2. Manley SE, Mostafa S, Webber J, et al., Webster C, et al. When is HbA1c useful and what do the numbers mean: do they help or hinder? Br J Diabetes. 2023;23(2):105-13.
  3. Aarsand AK, Fernandez-Calle P, Webster C, Coskun A, et al. The EFLM Biological Variation Database. biologicalvariation.eu.
  4. Lawson AJ, Marrington R, Jewkes C, Webster C, Jones A. Comparison of serum lipoprotein(a) concentration and two single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with elevated lipoprotein(a) to kringle repeat number determined from genomic DNA. Atherosclerosis. 2012;223(2):529.
  5. Marrington R, Webster C, Jewkes C, Jones A. Effect of historical changes in HDL-cholesterol measurements on cardiovascular risk assessment. Atherosclerosis. 2011;218(2):e2.
  6. Marrington R, Webster C, Sturges P, Macerola E, Jewkes C, Jones A. Are our HDL assays fit for purpose? Atherosclerosis. 2010;213(1):e2.
  7. Delivering multimedia education in clinical biochemistry. eJIFCC. 2006;17(2).
  8. Case-of-the-Week: connected, collaborative clinical chemistry. eJIFCC. 2006;17(2).
  9. Web usability and database connectivity: how to use them in the laboratory. eJIFCC. 2004;15(1).
  10. Web sites for everyone. ACB News Sheet. March 2001.
  11. Electronic publication of the eJIFCC [editorial]. eJIFCC. 2000;12(3).
  12. The Internet. Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry. 1997.
  13. An Internet resource guide. ACB News Sheet. March 1995.

Contact

[email protected]