Dr. The Most Hon. Songee Beckles
Ministry of Health, Barbados
Director, Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory
Following the amalgamation of the Leptospira Laboratory, the Ladymeade Reference Unit Laboratory and the Public Health Laboratory, Dr. Beckles currently serves as the Director of the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory (BDSPHL).
Dr. Beckles is a Medical Laboratory Technologist with more than 20 years of professional experience and holds a PhD in Immunology and a Fellowship in Microbiology. Her extensive career has focused on laboratory diagnostics, public health laboratory systems, quality management, infectious disease surveillance and laboratory capacity development.
Prior to her current appointment, Dr. Beckles served as the Clinical Information Specialist at the Ladymeade Reference Unit (LRU) Laboratory, the national HIV monitoring laboratory within the Ministry of Health. She was involved with the laboratory from its inception in 2002 and subsequently served as its Laboratory Manager for more than 10 years.
Under her leadership and technical guidance, the LRU Laboratory significantly expanded its diagnostic capabilities. The laboratory progressed from providing CD4 and HIV viral load testing to offering a broader range of specialized diagnostic services, including testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), influenza, human papillomavirus (HPV), HIV early infant diagnosis using DNA PCR, and HIV drug resistance testing.
The LRU Laboratory achieved international accreditation in 2009, becoming the first public laboratory in the English-speaking Caribbean to attain international accreditation. Dr. Beckles played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of the laboratory’s quality management system and in preparing the laboratory for international accreditation.
Dr. Beckles has extensive training and experience in a range of laboratory diagnostic disciplines. Her areas of expertise include COVID-19 PCR and basic sequencing, influenza, mpox, dengue, leptospirosis, and basic immunophenotyping for leukemia and lymphoma. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as a member of the Ministry of Health and Wellness Emergency Operations Center and led the laboratory component of Barbados’ COVID-19 response.
Leadership in Innovation and Research
Dr. Beckles currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Living Laboratory (BLL). The Barbados Living Laboratory seeks to establish an innovation ecosystem based on a co-creation approach, integrating research and innovation within a real-world health, academic and industry partnership environment.
The initiative places citizens at the centre of the innovation process and seeks to develop practical solutions that respond to the specific health and development needs of Barbados while harnessing the country’s creativity, research capacity and innovation potential.
Laboratory Quality Management and Accreditation
A major area of Dr. Beckles’ professional expertise is the development and strengthening of Laboratory Quality Management Systems (LQMS). She led the development and implementation of the quality management system at the Ladymeade Reference Unit Laboratory and has subsequently served as a mentor and technical advisor to several public and private laboratories across the Caribbean in the development and implementation of laboratory quality management systems.
Through this mentorship and technical support, four laboratories have subsequently achieved accreditation.
Dr. Beckles is also trained as a technical medical laboratory assessor and has conducted laboratory assessments for regional and international organizations, including CROSQ, GLESSN and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Public Health Laboratory Leadership
Dr. Beckles has continued to contribute to the strengthening of Barbados’ national laboratory infrastructure. In 2024, she provided leadership and technical guidance that supported the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory in achieving designation as a WHO National Influenza Center. And in 2026 her leadership and technical guidance supported the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory in achieving designation as a PAHO/ WHO Collaborating Center for Antimicrobial resistance.
She is currently leading efforts to further strengthen the laboratory’s diagnostic capacity, particularly in the area of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This work is focused on enhancing laboratory capabilities to support the detection, characterization, surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial-resistant organisms and to strengthen Barbados’ contribution to regional and international AMR surveillance.
Scientific Contributions and Professional Service
Dr. Beckles has authored and co-authored several scientific publications in peer-reviewed medical literature, with research contributions in areas including dengue, leptospirosis and HIV.
She also serves as Chairperson of the Pathology Advisory Committee, which has responsibility for the review and assessment of private medical laboratories as part of the annual laboratory licensing process in Barbados.
Through her leadership, technical expertise, commitment to quality and extensive regional and international experience, Dr. Beckles continues to contribute significantly to the advancement of public health laboratory services, laboratory quality systems, infectious disease surveillance and diagnostic capacity in Barbados and the wider Caribbean.