Karen Tscharke (formerly known as Karen Gyedu) is a dedicated early-career Medical Scientist specializing in diagnostic pathology within Immunology and Virology. In 2018, Karen graduated with a Bachelor's degree with First Class Honours in Laboratory Medicine from the University of South Australia. Since then, she has accumulated six years of invaluable experience in the clinical laboratory setting.

In October 2023, Karen was appointed as a Grant Funded Scientist in the Virology, Serology, and Microbiology department of SA Pathology, located at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Frome Road Laboratories. Her primary focus is on participating in the startup of a cell and virus culture laboratory and the development of assays focusing on flaviviruses, which are potentially endemic threats to Australia.

Karen’s career in pathology began at Flinders Medical Centre, where she served as a Technical Officer in the Immunology department for five years. Here, she demonstrated proficiency in conducting complex manual and automated autoimmune testing. She also held responsibilities as a licensed Radiation Safety officer and Fire Safety Warden. Over the years, Karen played an integral role in transitioning testing assays to the Immunology directorate, conducting validity testing and data accumulation for new assays, supervising fellow technicians in radiation safety, establishing databases, and participating in procedural audits and writing Standard Operating Procedures.

With a passion for continual learning and professional development, Karen has participated in numerous training programs and committees. She was a spokesperson at the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists Conference in 2018 after being awarded a scholarship from the New Colombo Plan to explore the Private and Public healthcare systems in Myanmar. In 2020, she passed a Physics and Radiation theory exam to obtain a license as a Radiation Worker from the South Australian Environment Protection Authority. Currently, Karen volunteers as a committee member and secretary for The South Australian Medical Scientists' Association (SAMSA).

Karen is pleased to hear that SA Pathology will remain in public hands and believes in the great potential for Pathology in South Australia to continue making greater strides in research and diagnostic capabilities. “My hope is to be steadfast in the pursuit of excellence, integrity, and innovation.”