MSACL 2025 Abstract

Accessing Accuracy in Clinical Mass Spectrometry: Understanding Reference Materials and Use Cases

Ashley Beasley Green (1), Johanna Camara (1), Matthew Crawford (2)
(1) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD; (2) Labcorp, Burlington, NC

Ashley Beasley-Green, PhD (Presenter) NIST

Presenter Bio: Ashley Beasley-Green, PhD, received her BS in Biochemistry from Spelman College and obtained her PhD from the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Green received a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and is currently a Staff Scientist in the Biomolecular Measurement Division of the Materials Measurement Laboratory (MML) at NIST. Dr. Green’s research primarily focuses on the standardization of protein measurement science and the development of protein-based NIST Reference Materials and Standard Reference Materials to support basic research and clinical applications.

Relevant Financial Disclosures (within past 24 months, reported on Jan 14, 2026) No relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose.

Johanna Camara, PhD (Presenter) NIST

Presenter Bio: Johanna began her employment at NIST as an NRC Postdoctoral Associate. Her activities have encompassed a wide variety of areas, including: MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry of bacteria, molecular cloning of stable-isotope labeled proteins for mass spectral internal standards, and the quantification of small organic molecules in pharmaceuticals, foods, and biological SRMs with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. She has participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program at NIST as an application reviewer and research mentor. Johanna is also the Clinical SRM Program Coordinator, and the Quality Manager and Deputy Group Leader for the Organic Chemical Metrology Group in the Chemical Sciences Division. Johanna has participated in several working groups and task forces within CLSI, IFCC, and JCTLM.

Relevant Financial Disclosures (within past 24 months) Not yet reported.

Matthew Crawford (Presenter) Labcorp

Presenter Bio: Matthew Crawford is a Scientist II working in research and development at Labcorp in Burlington, North Carolina. He received his B.S. in Biochemistry from California State University, Northridge and is currently working towards his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from University of Texas at Arlington under the instruction of Professor Kevin Schug. At Labcorp, his focus is high-throughput method development and validation for small molecule biomarkers using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS. He’s been on the MSACL steering committee for 2024 and 2025 conferences where he’s head of the small molecule scientific committee.

Relevant Financial Disclosures (within past 24 months) Not yet reported.

Session Description:
Reference materials (RMs), including certified reference materials, support global clinical measurement standardization and harmonization. Standardization ensures uniform clinical results across routine methods and traceability to the International System of Units through higher-order RMs and Reference Measurement Procedures (RMPs). Harmonization aims to make clinical results more equivalent across methods in the absence of higher-order RMs or RMPs. RMs are available in various forms and are used for method calibration and validation. The choice of RM and its incorporation into a measurement system depends on laboratory goals and many RMs are ideally suited for mass spectrometry-based measurement procedures. Participants will learn how RMs are developed and characterized, and how to select an RM suitable for their intended use. This practical training session is intended to increase awareness of the different types of clinical RMs available and to provide real-life examples of their use.

Take-home Pearls:
(1) RMs are incorporated into measurement traceability schemes to support clinical results.
(2) RM selection is based on the intended use.