PhD DipRCPath SRCS
Director of Cytogenetics Department
Zoe Docherty is a Consultant Clinical Scientist with extensive experience in Clinical Cytogenetics. She started her career in diagnostic cytogenetics as a clinical scientist at the Regional Cytogenetics Laboratory, East Birmingham Hospital in 1979, following completion of her Higher Degree in plant cytogenetics at Reading University. She then moved on to the other W Midlands Regional Cytogenetics Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre in Birmingham as a senior clinical scientist in 1982. In 1985, she joined Guy’s Hospital as a Principal clinical scientist in charge of the diagnostic laboratory. She obtained the Royal College of Pathologists Diploma in Clinical Cytogenetics in 1987 and was subsequently appointed Top Grade consultant clinical scientist and overall head of the department in 1991, providing leadership and term direction for the laboratory, and expert advice to users of the service. The department was one of the early laboratories to be accredited by CPA(UK)Ltd, and is renowned for translating new developments into diagnostic tests and services being offered to patients in clinical practice; it is a leader in prenatal services, preimplantation genetic diagnosis and chromosome breakage studies.
During her years in diagnostic cytogenetics Dr Docherty has represented cytogeneticists as a council member of the Clinical Genetics Society, has acted as an assessor for the National External Quality Assessment Scheme (NEQAS), and has been a member of the Professional Standards Committee for the Association for Clinical Cytogenetics, setting Best Practice guidelines for diagnostic cytogenetics services nationally. Special interests include chromosome variation, chromosome instability, and autism; she is a collaborator in the International Molecular Genetic Study of Autism and has also collaborated in a variety of other research and development projects.
