Research Institutes, Centres and Units - Universiti Sains Malaysia

Doping Control Centre
The Doping Control Centre is one of 35 laboratories worldwide that holds WADA
(World Anti-Doping Agency) accreditation and one of 5 laboratories in the Asian region
with this credential. The presence of this facility within the country has significantly
enhanced opportunities for Malaysia to bid for major international sporting events in
view of the successful conduct of dope testing during the Sixteenth Commonwealth
Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. The Centre has expanded three times in terms of
laboratory space and facilities while manpower has doubled over the last 10 years. It
has shown increasing commitment to research and development in order to ensure
that the services rendered to its customers are of the highest quality.
The Doping Control Centre is a research and service Centre providing organic and
inorganic analyses for various local and international authorities requiring evidential
and forensic testing for regulatory purposes. It was founded on the commitment of
the country to initiate comprehensive athletics doping control at both national and
international sports events. Indeed, its reputation as a reliable testing laboratory has
evolved from the experience of providing drug testing to various sport communities,
fulfilling the standards and guidelines set then by the IOC and later in 2004 by the
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Doping Control Centre is the only University
facility that holds ISO17025 accreditation from NATA (National Association of Testing
Authorities, Australia) for various scopes of testing. As an accredited laboratory, the
centre conducts analysis according to the highest standards and guidelines, and therefore
holds legal responsibility for the conduct of validated testing in the laboratory and the
reporting of results. To maintain these high standards, the staff is continually subjected
to external audit for their technical and management competency.
The reputation of the Centre has evolved through its commitment to expand its
scope to incorporate (1)analytical services built on the expertise gained from the
development of the Centre, (2)applied research to develop analysis techniques
necessary to expand service capacity and (3)scholarly research, education and
skills development to train students and analysts in leading edge research technologies
as well as extend the reach of chemical analysis into new application areas. Hence,
enhancement and diversification of the services has become a vital activity in achieving
the goals and objectives of the centre, post 1998. Today it stands as a self-sustaining
Centre, generating revenue that is utilised by the Centre to procure consumables and
small equipment, maintain its instruments, provide for ongoing staff and student training
and the general conduct of its day to day operations.