Rowan MacLeod
Medical Laboratory Technician | Specimen Processing & Diagnostic Analytics
Edinburgh
Professional Summary
Diligent Medical Laboratory Technician with practical experience in pre-analytical specimen handling, routine haematology, and clinical biochemistry testing. Skilled in operating automated analysers, executing daily quality controls, and maintaining adherence to ISO 15189 standards to ensure rapid, dependable diagnostic services.
Professional Experience
Pentland Diagnostic Laboratories
Edinburgh
Medical Laboratory Technician
Jul 2025 – Present
- Process and accession up to 250 blood, urine, and swab specimens daily, verifying patient identifiers and tracking samples via the Laboratory Information Management System.
- Operate and calibrate automated haematology analysers and clinical chemistry platforms, running daily internal quality controls and resolving baseline calibration flags.
- Perform routine macroscopic checks and urine microscopy, escalating abnormal findings to senior biomedical scientists.
- Prepare chemical reagents, stains, and buffer solutions in strict compliance with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations and standard operating procedures.
Lothian Health Analytics Consortium
Edinburgh
Laboratory Assistant (Trainee Placement)
Jun 2024 – Sept 2024
- Assisted in specimen intake and pre-analytical triage for high-volume biochemistry panels, performing centrifugation and aliquoting to minimise processing delays.
- Maintained inventory controls for laboratory consumables and prepared waste disposal bins in accordance with ISO 15189 biohazard guidelines.
- Logged and archived more than 1,000 histology blocks and cytology slides, ensuring comprehensive traceability and chain of custody.
Education
Edinburgh Napier University
BSc (Hons) · Biomedical Science · Edinburgh · Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1) · Sept 2021 – Jun 2025
Completed an Institute of Biomedical Science accredited programme covering clinical biochemistry, medical microbiology, haematology, and cellular pathology, with extensive practical laboratory modules.
Laboratory Projects
Peripheral Blood Smear Staining Evaluation Project
Oct 2024 – Apr 2025
- Evaluated comparative staining clarity and cellular differentiation between manual Leishman staining and automated slide stainers across 120 trial blood smears.
- Quantified intra-assay variability and presented evaluation results at the university undergraduate bioscience symposium.
Technical Skills
Specimen Accessioning & Triage
Automated Haematology Analysis
Clinical Biochemistry Assays
LIMS Data Entry & Tracking
ISO 15189 Standards
COSHH Compliance
Microscopy & Slide Preparation
Centrifugation & Pipetting
Internal Quality Control (IQC)
Reagent Preparation & Storage
Languages
English
C2
French
B1
Certifications & Training
Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)
British Diagnostic Training Academy · Aug 2025
COSHH Assessor Awareness
Scottish Safety Standards Board · Sept 2025
Volunteering
Waverley Community Science Club
Edinburgh · Oct 2023 – May 2024
- STEM Workshop Volunteer
- Assisted secondary school pupils in basic light microscopy techniques and slide preparation during weekend science engagement workshops.