Biological samples (e.g. blood, DNA, tissue etc.) and corresponding clinical data are required for the development of any new drug or diagnostic assay and are therefore critical for advancements in health research.

Biobanks (collections of biological samples) are therefore essential for the understanding of the diversity of human diseases, and also provide key information on the influence of environment and lifestyle on health, constituting a basis for disease prevention programmes and the improvement of public health. Hence, a close collaboration between researchers, biobankers, patient advocacy groups, and the biotech and pharma industry is essential in addressing both common and rare diseases.

IPPOSI has contributed to the development of biobanking activities in both Ireland and Europe in a number of ways:

National Irish COVID-19 Biobank (NICB)

  • IPPOSI continues to build relationships with representatives of the Irish biobanking community in Ireland.

Patient Involvement in Biobanking

  • IPPOSI CEO, Derick Mitchell presented the patient perspective on biobanking at the 2023 WECAN Academy for Cancer Patient Advocates on July 2nd, 2023 in Frankfurt, Germany. Click here to view presentation.
  • IPPOSI CEO, Derick Mitchell, together with a number of other patient advocates published a journal article review on patient involvement in biobanking (2015). DOI: 10.1186/s40900-015-0001-z
  • In 2010 IPPOSI published a patient perspective document which emerged from a patient-specific working subgroup of the BBMRI Stakeholder’s Forum. The document was endorsed by many pan-European patient organisations, and was presented to the BBMRI leadership at the Stakeholders Forum event in June 2010.

BBMRI-ERIC Biobanking Research Infrastructure

  • From 2009-2011, under FP7 Grant Agreement No.212111, IPPOSI managed the pan-European stakeholder forum of the preparatory phase of BBMRI-ERIC – the European biobanking research infrastructure
  • IPPOSI produced two multi-stakeholder consensus reports as part of its efforts to create a pan-European, patient-centered, biobanking community. (Go here for Report 1, and here for Report 2)
  • IPPOSI continues to maintain a close relationship with the leadership of BBMRI-ERIC, and accepted an invitation from Prof. Jan-Eric Litton, then Director-General of BBMRI-ERIC to speak at the Jan 2016 conference in Cork, Ireland, organised by the INSIGHT consortium. (Click here to view presentation)