AOAC TRAINING COURSES
AOAC offers a variety of training courses in the areas of laboratory management, method validation, quality assurance, and accreditation. All courses are designed to provide high-quality, hands-on training that emphasizes practical, real-world solutions to everyday problems encountered in the laboratory. Participants learn not only from AOAC’s exceptional course instructors—recognized experts in their respective fields—but also from their peers and colleagues who share similar interests and challenges. The courses being offered are:
There is an additional charge to register for a training course, which includes the course fee, instructor, materials, and luncheons on each day. Advance registration and payment is required for all training courses—no on-site registrations can be accepted.
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COURSE OFFERINGS
All courses will be held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, Texas.
ISO 17025 Management Systems for the Laboratory
Friday, September 19 through Sunday, September 21, 2008
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. each day
Registration Fee
AOAC Member: US$975
Non-Member: US$1145
Who Should Attend
ISO 17025 addresses every element of laboratory management. It is not exclusive to the laboratory manager, assistant laboratory manager, or quality manager. The standard involves all laboratory staff whose functions relate to the quality of laboratory data generated, and as such all laboratory staff will benefit from this course. The course is essential, but not limited to, anyone in a laboratory management position.
What You Will Learn
The ISO management system will provide a defined, ordered process for operating all facets of a laboratory. The laboratory community throughout the world has expressed, through the International Organization for Standardization, the essential elements for a laboratory management system in the text of ISO 17025. That document provides the nucleus for most laboratory accreditation programs today. This three-day training course addresses the requirements of ISO 17025 in detail. Open forum discussion of the elements of the standard, the structure of the management system, and the system of documents required for meeting the standard are all addressed. After taking this course you will be able to:
- Begin the implementation process;
- Prepare the quality policy manual, procedures, and instructional documents;
- Address the laboratory accreditation process;
- Widen communications within your laboratory; and much more.
About the Instructor
James H. Scott is the owner and proprietor of Scott Consulting Services in Acworth, Georgia. He is a certified Lead Auditor of quality and environmental management systems with more than 20 years of experience in this arena. Prior to establishing his own consulting firm, Jim spent 18 years teaching chemistry, physics and medical technology on both the preparatory school and collegiate levels; and for 13 years worked for the Georgia Power Company as the Environmental Laboratory Quality Officer, Senior Environmental Laboratory Analyst and as an Environmental Auditor. In addition to his current activities as a training instructor and consultant, Jim also serves as an assessor for the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation.
Single Laboratory Validation of Analytical Methods for Dietary Supplements
Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, 2008
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. each day
Registration Fee
AOAC Member: US$875
Non-Member: US$1045
Who Should Attend
Bench scientists, managers, and other advisory staff concerned with developing analytical methods for dietary supplements, and who seek a better understanding of the AOAC guidelines for single laboratory validation of those methods.
What You Will Learn
Proper in-house validation of a protocol (potential method) ensures that its technical performance and fitness for purposes can be objectively evaluated. To that end, this course provides an in-depth and comprehensive review of the AOAC guidelines and criteria for single laboratory (in-house) method validation for dietary supplements. Participants will acquire the basic information and skills needed to optimize the probability that a given protocol can be in-house validated to the technical and practical standards required to meet AOAC’s criteria for methods approval.
After taking this course you will be able to:
- Recognize and prioritize decisive (determinative) factors/parameters as a prelude to adapting or developing and refining analytical methods and related SOPs;
- Systematically generate and objectively evaluate raw (performance) data pertaining to linearity, accuracy, precision, ruggedness, LOD, LOQ, etc.;
- Evaluate a candidate protocol’s overall fitness for purposes, vis-à-vis test materials and matrices; and
- Clearly and effectively describe methods and SOPs in a written “AOAC-ready” format, using appropriate checklists of key criteria (requirements) for validation.
About the Instructor
James Neal-Kababick is the Director of Flora Research Laboratories in Grants Pass, Oregon. He has over a decade of experience in phytochemical analysis, including development of many novel analytical methods for the quality control of essential oils, botanicals, and other dietary supplements. He received training at FDA-CFSAN in the technique of botanical microscopy under Stanley Chicowitz and HPTLC Training under Eich Reich, CAMAG Scientific. His unusual combination of plant histology skills and chemistry expertise offers him a unique insight into the dietary supplements quality control testing. He currently serves as Past Chair of the AOAC Methods Committee on Dietary Supplements, is a Horwitz Advisor, and sits on the Panel of Experts for AOAC INTERNATIONAL. He also serves on the AHPA Analytical Methods Committee.
Collaborative Study Design and Management
Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, 2008
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. each day
Registration Fee
AOAC Member: US$875
Non-Member: US$1045
Who Should Attend
Bench scientists, laboratory managers, advisory staff, and others concerned with organizing and conducting full collaborative studies that meet AOAC guidelines.
What You Will Learn
Proper validation of a method ensures that its technical performance and fitness for purpose can be objectively evaluated. To that end, this course will provide study directors (and other stakeholders) with a comprehensive overview of the basic information and training required to optimize the probability that a single laboratory validated (SLV) method will undergo successful validation in a full collaborative study (i.e., be able to meet the technical and practical standards required in AOAC’s methods approval process). After taking this course you will be able to:
- Recognize and prioritize decisive (determinative) factors/parameters as a prelude to organizing and coordinating successful full collaborative studies;
- Write clear, concise, and unambiguous collaborative study protocols that maximize the likelihood of successful collaborative studies;
- Apply the AOAC INTERNATIONAL suite of statistical tools to systematic consolidation and objective evaluation of raw (performance) data;
- Systematically and objectively develop a full collaborative study protocol; and
- Clearly and effectively write the results of the full collaborative study in an “AOAC-ready” format.
About the Instructor
Mark C. Roman is President of Tampa Bay Analytical Research, Inc. in Largo, Florida. Tampa Bay Analytical Research, Inc. was founded to provide contracting services to the dietary supplement community. As President, Mark has worked extensively with industry, government, and academia in the areas of analytical method development and method validation. He currently is a contractor for AOAC INTERNATIONAL as a Dietary Supplement Subject Matter Expert, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for Blaze Science Industries. Previously, he served as Director of Research & Development for ChromaDex, where he was responsible for development and validation of analytical test methods for the analysis of dietary supplement raw materials and finished products, for writing and issuing SOPs, test methods, and protocols, for presenting seminars and classes relating to the analysis of dietary supplements, and for providing technical customer support. He is currently serving as co-study director for AOAC collaborative studies on methods for chondroitin sulfate and coenzyme Q10.
Quality Assurance for Analytical Laboratories
Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, 2008
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. each day
Registration Fee
AOAC Member: US$875
Non-Member: US$1045
Who Should Attend
Laboratory scientists who need to plan, develop, implement, manage, improve and/or comply with a quality assurance program. This includes laboratory managers, supervisors, quality assurance coordinators, and staff scientists in industrial, government, or academic laboratories.
What You Will Learn
A Quality System is essential if a laboratory is to avoid costly and reputation-damaging errors. An effective quality assurance (QA) program is a series of activities designed to ensure that quality control procedures are being properly implemented at every step of the analytical process. Without a comprehensive and detailed QA plan, errors are more likely to occur. In today’s competitive environment, that can be disastrous. This course is designed to provide you with the tools needed to initiate or improve a QA system which will meet ISO 17025 requirements in your analytical laboratory. In-class problem-solving exercises reinforce the material and class discussions give you opportunities to question the instructors and also learn how others are handling QA in their labs. After taking this course you will be able to:
- Develop a QA manual and design an implementation and management program;
- Design and implement QA record keeping requirements;
- Prepare your laboratory for accreditation to ISO 17025;
- Identify components of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and develop additional SOPs;
- Conduct an effective internal audit; and much more.
In addition to the course materials, attendees will also receive a complimentary copy of the AOAC publication
Quality Assurance Principles for Analytical Laboratories, 3rd Edition, F.M. Garfield, G.H. Hirsch, and E.J. Klesta, Jr.
About the Instructors
Gerald H. Hirsch is President of JH TechRight Consulting in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. Jerry currently works part-time as a Team Leader for Standards Council of Canada (SCC) in assessing laboratories for accreditation to ISO 17025. He retired in 2001 from his position as Associate Director of the Burnaby Laboratory for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Vancouver, Canada. From 1997 to 2000 he was Laboratory Director of the Burnaby Food Safety Laboratory with CFIA, and prior to that he was Chief of the Food/Drug Laboratory Division for the Health Protection Branch (Health Canada) laboratory in Burnaby. He led the CFIA Burnaby Food Laboratory in its successful application to achieve ISO Guide 25 accreditation with the Standards Council of Canada in 1999. Jerry assisted in the integration of the Burnaby Food and Burnaby Fish Laboratories, and led the scope expansion accreditation activities to ISO 17025 in 2001. Jerry’s CFIA laboratory developed a basic EMS program in 2000 as part of a national ISO 14000 self-assessment exercise.
Eugene J. Klesta, Jr. is the Director of Quality Assurance for Environmental Health Laboratories (EHL), a division of Underwriters Laboratories in South Bend, Indiana. In this capacity his major responsibilities include oversight of the quality of analytical data produced, management and implementation of the QA Program and a member of the executive management committee. Gene has extensive experience in the area of quality system certification. While working at Metal Management Inc., his leadership and direction resulted in the company becoming certified to ISO 9002-1994, in 1996. Previously, Gene spent more than 12 years with Waste Management, Inc., as Laboratory Director, Head of the Quality Assurance Department, and Supervisor of Customer Service; and he has worked for several major industrial laboratories.
Quality Assurance for Microbiological Laboratories
Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, 2008
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. each day
Registration Fee
AOAC Member: US$875
Non-Member: US$1045
Who Should Attend
Laboratory managers, supervisors, quality assurance coordinators, and anyone responsible for developing, implementing, supervising and/or complying with a quality assurance program in a microbiology laboratory. This course is of special interest to laboratories engaged in microbiological analysis of food, water, and environmental-related specimens.
What You Will Learn
An effective quality assurance (QA) plan can improve the efficiency, credibility, and quality of your laboratory’s work. Designed by AOAC especially for non-clinical microbiologists, this interactive course provides you with the tools you need to prepare and implement an effective and efficient QA plan. The course emphasizes how to put the principles of quality control to work in the context of critical practices, and the material is reinforced and clarified in three ways—by hands-on problem-solving in class, by opportunities to ask questions of the instructor, and by learning how your classmates are handling QA in their laboratories. After taking this course you will be able to:
- Develop a QA manual and design an implementation and management program;
- Incorporate quality control practices into standard operating procedures;
- Make and use control charts;
- Understand how to validate results through proficiency testing;
- Conduct an effective internal audit; and much more.
About the Instructors
Michael H. Brodsky is President of Brodsky Consultants in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada; and is a Past President of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. Michael began his career as a research scientist in environmental bacteriology, for the Laboratory Services Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Health. In 1982 he became Chief of Environmental Microbiology and Microbiological Support Services for the Ontario Ministry of Health, a position he held for 17 years. In 1999 Michael retired from the Ontario Ministry of Health and accepted a one-year appointment as General Manager of Silliker Laboratories of Canada, and subsequently founded his own consulting firm. He is currently serving on the AOAC Board of Directors. In addition to his many years of service to AOAC as a training course instructor, Board member, and President, Michael serves as a Technical Assessor for ISO under the auspices of the Standards Council of Canada, and is active in a number of professional associations.
Molly F. Mills is the Microbiology Supervisor at Land O’Lakes, Inc. in Arden Hills, Minnesota, serving in this role since 1998. Her previous work experience includes, Silliker Laboratories as an Operations Supervisor and as a Microbiologist at Indiana Packers a pork processing facility. Molly received her M.S. in Food Science from the University of Minnesota and B.S. in Microbiology from Purdue University. rtech laboratories has been accredited to ISO 17025 since 2000. The microbiology department at rtech performs routine microbiological analysis of food samples and microbiology project work. Project work includes AOAC validation studies.
