Dr Roderick ChappelQuality Manager,
National Serology Reference Laboratory,
Australia (NRL).
Biography
Roderick Chappel obtained a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Melbourne.
From 1972 to 1998 at the Victorian Institute of Animal Science (VIAS), he conducting research into the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis, and then into leptospirosis in livestock. He discovered a new pathogenic leptospiral species and serovar, Leptospira fainei serovar Hurstbridge. He led the adoption of quality management by VIAS?s veterinary diagnostic service.
Since 1999, Roderick has been Quality Manager for the National Serology Reference Laboratory (NRL), and has progressively developed NRL?s quality management system. He is an elected member representative for NATA (Australia?s laboratory accreditation body), former chair of NATA?s Proficiency Testing Scheme Providers Accreditation Advisory Committee, and a NATA technical assessor.
Roderick is Immediate Past President of the International Leptospirosis Society, and a member of the Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Leptospira. He helped establish, and coordinates, an international proficiency testing scheme for leptospirosis diagnosis.
Research Interest
Leptospirosis, and the evaluation and quality assurance of diagnostic tests.