Marfas Marakankadavu Parambu Earns Prestigious ASCP Recognition

This prestigious ASCP recognition celebrates pathology and laboratory medicine’s brightest emerging leaders and innovators. Marfas was honored for his achievements and leadership qualities that are making an impact on pathology and laboratory medicine.

“It is an absolute honor to represent the medical laboratory team at URochester Medicine through the ASCP 40 Under Forty recognition,” Marfas said. “This award highlights the critical human element in healthcare. I am incredibly proud to work alongside our talented technical community to elevate global diagnostic standards, support our future laboratory scientists, and ensure that the vital work behind the lab doors remains visible and valued.”

Marfas is a Urinalysis Technical Specialist at the Central Laboratory Hematology Lab, serving as the technical leader for urinalysis at the Central Laboratory, Strong Memorial Hospital, and Strong West. He is also a member of the teaching faculty for the clinical medical technology program, and he will be the main trainer for the Urinalysis rotation for the CMT program.

He has more than 14 years of global clinical laboratory experience across the U.S., United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and India. Before joining URochester Medicine, Marfas led a clinical research project at the Mary Imogene Bassett Healthcare Network, along with former Clinical Laboratory Director Dr. Valerie Bush. Their study evaluated how hemolysis alters sensitive chemical analytes on automated analyzers.

Because inaccurate specimen readings can compromise patient safety, the team utilized Lean Six Sigma expertise to formalize these findings into a strict testing protocol. They successfully developed and validated a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) to systematically detect and control for these interferences. Due to the rigorous analytical mechanisms involved, the testing protocol was classified as a moderate-to-high complexity LDT by the New York State Department of Health (NYDOH).

After passing a stringent state regulatory review, the protocol received official NYDOH approval, providing clinical teams with vital data-driven guidelines to improve overall specimen integrity and diagnostic accuracy. This study was published in the prestigious Oxford Academy Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine (2024), establishing a new benchmark for automated clinical chemistry validation.

Marfas is certified as an International Specialist in Clinical Chemistry, International Medical Laboratory Scientist, and International Chemistry Technologist, and he specializes in clinical chemistry, laboratory quality, and strategic laboratory governance. He earned his master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Madras and an Advanced Certificate in Clinical Laboratory Science from the University of Rochester.

A committee of ASCP pathologists, laboratory professionals, and resident members selects the 40 Under Forty honorees following an evaluation of candidates’ accomplishments, experience, leadership skills, and dedication to innovation in the field of laboratory medicine and pathology.