Abbott honours University of Sheffield team with research prize

Abbott has named a University of Sheffield-based team as the winners of its Labs are Vital award for research excellence.

Led by Dr Steve Goodacre, the researchers were honoured for their work on whether the use of point-of-care cardiac biomarkers results in shorter hospital stays for patients with chest problems.

They were presented with the award and a 15,000 euro (13,200 pound) honorarium at the International Federation for Clinical Chemistry Congress in Berlin.

"Dr Goodacre and his team have highlighted the vital role laboratory scientists play every day in diagnosing and preventing disease," said Kathy Turner, divisional vice-president of Abbott Diagnostics.

Launched in 2006, Labs are Vital is an education and awareness programme designed to boost the profile of laboratory professionals within the healthcare community and celebrate their achievements.

The award for research excellence was presented in partnership with the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.