Samantha Higgins Email and Phone Number

Experienced biobanker and quality professional with Masters of Science (Biomedical and Health) with experience ranging from complex project management, policy review and change management, QMS management, procedural development and implementation, strategic planning, accreditation and compliance (TGA-cGMP, ISO-9001/15189/17025/20387, NATA [Aus]), and other quality assurance practices, such as risk management, corrective/preventative action etc. Current professional appointments include Quality Manager of the Victorian Cancer Biobank, one of Australia’s largest cancer biobank consortiums; recent past Secretary of the Australasian Biospecimen Network Association (ABNA); current Management committee member (ABNA); Committee Member (Vice Chair) of the International Society of Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) Standards Community of Practice; and Technical Assessor for NATA (ISO 20387 General Requirements for Biobanking Program). I have served as a MRFF Grant reviewer, and regularly contribute individual or organizational perspective for feedback, particularly in Australian research/data/quality and ethics spaces.Excellent all-round communicator with over 18 years leadership and technical experience in pathology, forensic science/evidence recovery, donor tissue banking and most recently biobanking. Experienced delivering in organisational change, participating or leading operational/lab design or physical or org-wide relocations in 4 organisations. Unique background: quality assurance professional who values collaboration, positive stakeholder and consumer outcomes, mixed with operations experience able to embed change with lasting impact. Biobanking and medical/scientific research and industry are in a period of rapid growth and change, and I embrace the future opportunities this exciting ecosystem brings. Driven to develop culturally sensitive, safe and efficient operational and high quality processes that meet both end user and management expectations. Enjoys: collaboration and teaching, fostering enthusiasm within work groups or stakeholders, active participation in teams and procedural and policy writing/editing.