Dr Sona Rubinchik is the Senior Quality Manager at the Drug Control Centre, King’s College London — the UK’s only WADA-accredited anti-doping laboratory. In this role, she leads the Quality Assurance function to ensure ongoing compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 and WADA International Standards for Laboratories. Her responsibilities include overseeing internal audits, deviation and CAPA management, document control, and preparation for UKAS assessments.

Sona works closely with operational and scientific teams to maintain the integrity of the laboratory’s processes and to foster a culture of continuous improvement. Prior to this, Sona served as Laboratory and Quality Manager at KCL Test, King’s in-house COVID-19 testing facility. There, she led the laboratory through the successful implementation of ISO 15189 quality standards and its first UKAS accreditation. She was responsible for developing quality systems from the ground up, including SOPs, internal audit programmes, and staff training. Her leadership ensured regulatory readiness, operational consistency, and high levels of diagnostic accuracy during a critical public health period.

With a PhD in Molecular Microbiology and a Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Science, Sona brings together deep scientific expertise and a strong track record in quality management. Her focus remains on strengthening laboratory systems, supporting accreditation, and enabling teams to deliver high-quality, compliant scientific work.