The Operating Theatre Journal - Journal - Page 20
Shef昀椀eld researchers boost drive to national DNA programme
with senior NHS 昀椀gures signing up as 昀椀rst recruits
The innovative programme has so far collected over 250,000 biological
samples, with the Shef昀椀eld centre set to recruit 800 people a year to
the vital healthcare repository
• Researchers in Shef昀椀eld have joined a groundbreaking programme
that collects genetic and lifestyle information from people with and
without health conditions that can be recalled for future research
• The innovative programme has so far collected over 250,000
biological samples, with the new Shef昀椀eld centre set to recruit 800
people a year to the vital healthcare repository
• By storing DNA with linked clinical and demographic information,
the BioResource Bank will play a vital role in streamline crucial
health and care research
Researchers in Shef昀椀eld have launched a new bioresource research
tissue bank that connects scientists and healthcare researchers to
genetic and lifestyle information from people with and without health
conditions that can be recalled for future research.
The team from the Shef昀椀eld National Institute for Health and Care
Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, hosted by Shef昀椀eld
Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with The
University of Shef昀椀eld, are one of 18 centres across the country to
join the national repository recruitment programme which has so
far collected over 250,000 biological samples from people with and
without health conditions across the country.
Joining the NIHR BioResource is easy, with participants donating
a blood or saliva sample and completing a health and lifestyle
questionnaire. These samples are then stored in a central bioresource
bank alongside linked clinical and demographic information.
Once stored, the donated DNA is available to researchers for relevant
studies without them having to seek out samples. This streamlines
vital health and care research and helps to develop new treatments,
cures and health programmes.
Participants may also be identi昀椀ed as being of interest for other
research studies, again providing a vital bank of information that
speeds up crucial healthcare research.
A special recruitment launch day was held by the NIHR Shef昀椀eld
Biomedical Research Centre at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital’s NIHR
Shef昀椀eld Clinical Research Facility on Friday 15 December.
Professor Dame Pamela Shaw, Director of the NIHR Shef昀椀eld
Biomedical Research Centre, who was the 昀椀rst recruit, said:
“The NIHR BioResource Bank is an important collaboration for both
researchers and the public to understand the causes and pathways
of disease. I have dedicated my career to improving the treatment
and care of people with long-term health conditions, and am proud
to have become the 昀椀rst of hopefully many recruits to the Shef昀椀eld
BioResource Centre.”
Photo: Mays Baidoun, Clinical Trials Assistant takes Dr David Black
blood during the Shef昀椀eld BioResource Bank launch day
Dr David Black, Medical Director (Development) Shef昀椀eld Teaching
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who also volunteered to be
recruited to the NIHR BioResource Bank, said: “The NIHR BioResource
Bank helps 昀椀nd treatments, cures and develops health tests and
public health programmes for people of all ages, gender and race.
I was delighted to come along and support the launch of this
important national initiative in Shef昀椀eld. Donating my blood was
straightforward, and the team’s 昀椀rst recruitment day was well
organised and professionally run.”
Luke Barron, NIHR Shef昀椀eld Biomedical Research Centre Operations
Manager, said: “We were really pleased with our 昀椀rst ever BioResource
recruitment event, which resulted in 40 recruits to this innovative
programme. Our aim is to take recruitment as far and as wide as
possible, including to community outreach venues, as the NIHR
Bioresource enables researchers to access a large bank of biological
information and linked clinical and demographic data at ease. This not
only reduces costs and time but speeds up the delivery of vital health
and care research.”
The recruitment event was supported by trained nurses and clinical
trials assistants from the NIHR Shef昀椀eld Clinical Research Facility. The
team will now look to run more outreach community events, making
it even easier for others to donate their samples and contribute to
improving health and wellbeing for everyone.
The NIHR Shef昀椀eld Biomedical Research Centre aims to recruit
800 people to the bioresource bank a year. If you are interested in
registering your interest in joining the Shef昀椀eld BioResource Bank
please email: sth.shef昀椀eldbioresource@nhs.net.
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