Four Young Scientists put a spotlight on the changing face of laboratory leadership across Europe

From improving cancer diagnostics and neurodegenerative disease detection to healthcare innovation and patient safety, four Laboratory Medicine Young Scientists are showing the breadth of leadership across the profession

[Brussels, October 2026] - Four rising stars in European laboratory medicine are being recognised for their pioneering work to advance diagnostics, improve patient safety and transform healthcare delivery, as part of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine's (EFLM) European Laboratory Day 2026 campaign. EFLM is a non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing laboratory medicine and improving patient care.

Selected from 50 applications and nominations across 26 countries, four laboratory medicine professionals from Ireland, Türkiye, Italy and the Republic of Moldova are being spotlighted through Leaders in the Lab. Now in its fifth edition, European Laboratory Day is celebrated each year on 5 November to raise awareness of laboratory medicine's essential role in healthcare and give visibility to the professionals behind diagnosis, treatment decisions and patient safety.

With the campaign line "One profession. Many talents.", Leaders in the Lab aims to show that leadership in laboratory medicine is not defined only by seniority or job title, but can be demonstrated through research, innovation, collaboration, advocacy, mentoring and protecting quality and patient safety.

The four Young Scientists are:

Stephanie Yates, Ireland - Ireland's first medical laboratory scientist to secure a national healthcare innovation fellowship, Stephanie is helping bring laboratory expertise into healthcare innovation and service design.

Dr Hikmet Can Çubukçu, Türkiye - Combining laboratory medicine and software engineering, Hikmet has created free digital tools to make complex quality-control approaches more accessible and help laboratories protect patient safety.

Federico Angelo Cazzaniga, Italy - Federico is advancing research that could make neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's easier to identify earlier, using samples that are simpler and less invasive to collect.

Galina Coltuclu, Republic of Moldova - Galina helped establish a specialised blood cancer diagnostic service in Moldova, widening access to testing that previously often required samples to be sent abroad. Since its introduction in 2022, the service has supported around 1,000 patients.

Together, their stories demonstrate the breadth of work taking place across laboratory medicine and the role laboratory medicine professionals play throughout healthcare, from scientific discovery and accurate diagnosis to patient safety and service improvement.

Monica Dugaesescu, Chair of EFLM Young Scientists Committee said: "Stephanie, Hikmet, Federico and Galina demonstrate four very different ways laboratory medicine professionals are leading within healthcare. Their stories show that leadership can mean making a discovery, solving a problem, improving access to diagnostics or ensuring the laboratory medicine perspective is heard. European Laboratory Day is an opportunity to bring that contribution into view and celebrate the people behind laboratory medicine across Europe."

Alongside the four Young Scientist stories, EFLM is encouraging European laboratories, EFLM National Societies and all professionals who love laboratory medicine across Europe to take part in European Laboratory Day and share how they demonstrate leadership within their own work.

The theme of European Laboratory Day 2026 is Leaders in the Lab, recognising that leadership is not defined only by seniority or job title.

European Laboratory Day takes place on 5 November 2026.

Find out more and download the European Laboratory Day toolkit.

Follow #EuLabDay2026, #LeadersInTheLab and #EFLM.

ENDS

European Laboratory Day takes place on 5 November 2026.

About EFLM

The European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) is a non-profit organisation connecting national societies of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine creating a platform for all laboratory medicine professionals across Europe. EFLM is the European Region member of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and supports the progression of education, skill development and awareness of laboratory medicine across Europe.

Find out more at: https://www.eflm.eu/site/tg-european-lab-day/5november