Help us enhance UK Biobank
Further reading: International Journal of Epidemiology:
The UK Biobank sample handling and storage validation studies
The UK Biobank sample handling and storage protocol for the collection, processing and archiving of human blood and urine
As UK Biobank moves into its recruitment phase, attention now turns to finding ways to add additional value to the project. UK Biobank is talking to lots of British scientists about the ways this resource can help their research and, internationally, advising others who want to set up similar projects in their own countries.
The size of the cohort and the types of questions and measurements being taken have been discussed in considerable detail. See UK Biobank protocol.[PDF 626k]
Professor Rory Collins, UK Biobank Principal Investigator, explains: “The question has been ‘do we make it a big study with lots of participants and ask fewer questions of them, or do we follow a smaller number of people but collect more detailed information’. “I think it is possible to have the best of both worlds. And that is what I am asking scientists to focus on now.”
Professor Collins believes that if a good enough case can be made for more detailed follow up of subsets of the original group, funding could be made available. At a recent meeting of scientists organised by UK Biobank a number of areas for opportunities for positive enhancement to the resource were discussed:
- Diets
- Cognitive function
- Saliva collection
- Physical activity
- Cardiovascular
- Metabolic studies
- Internet assessments (diet, activity etc)
Researchers with ideas about ways in which UK Biobank may be enhanced are welcome to discuss them with Professor Rory Collins: ukbiobank@ukbiobank.ac.uk
Access and intellectual property
UK Biobank is currently developing its access and IP procedures. The policies on access and IP in the Ethics & Governance Framework will ensure that UK Biobank is used for purposes for which it was established. They will underline the principle of no preferential access while considering the need to prioritise access to those samples that will be depleted as the resource is used.