Between 2006 and 2010, 500,000 of you agreed to donate your time and data to UK Biobank. Your commitment enables the international research community to tackle the significant health issues facing us all.
We continue to collect data from existing participants, but we are not currently recruiting new participants.
Take a look at the timeline below to see each step in your participation with UK Biobank.
“Giving up the time to volunteer for research is what makes research possible. You, the participants, are changing science as we know it. You should be very proud of your contribution and realise how very grateful scientists are for what you’ve done.”
Professor Louise Thomas, University of Westminster, UK
A timeline of your participation
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2006–2010‘Baseline’ assessment at one of 22 regional centres
You answered questions about yourself, had physical measures taken (such as height and blood pressure), and donated a small amount of blood and urine. Some of you did additional hearing and eye tests, did a fitness test and provided a saliva sample.
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2011–2012The first online questionnaire launches
In our first online questionnaire, we asked you what you drank and ate in the last 24 hours. We asked you to repeat this questionnaire on four occasions.
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2012–2013
Invites for a repeat assessment
20,000 of you came back to our Stockport centre to repeat the measurements taken during baseline assessment.
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2013–2015 -
2014Memory and cognitive tests shared
120,000 of you completed a series of online memory and cognitive tests.
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2014 -
2015–2016Work history questionnaire launches
Over 120,000 of you completed an online questionnaire about your work history.
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2016–2017Mental health and well-being questionnaire launches
More than 200,000 of you completed an online questionnaire about mental health and well-being.
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2018Digestive health questionnaire launches
Over 180,000 of you completed an online questionnaire about your digestive health.
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2019Launch of two questionnaires – pain and sensation, and food preferences
More than 175,000 of you completed an online questionnaire about your experience with chronic pain. Over 190,000 of you completed an online questionnaire about your food preferences.
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2019-2025Heart monitors issued
Over 28,000 of you wore a heart monitor, helping us learn more about the impact that heart rhythm disturbances, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib), may have on your cardiovascular health and cognitive function.
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2020–2021COVID-19 antibodies collection
20,000 of you collected and sent blood samples to UK Biobank to check for COVID-19 antibodies.
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2022Understanding how your mental well-being changed over time
In 2022, we launched a questionnaire which 175,000 of you completed about your health and mental well-being to understand how this has changed over time.
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2023
Three questionnaires available
We launched three online surveys focused on visualisation and memory; social interactions and focus; and sleep and insomnia.
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2023
Repeat imaging starts
Repeat imaging starts, aiming to collect a second set imaging scans from 60,000 of you.
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2024Experiences of chronic pain follow-up questionnaire launches
We sent you another online questionnaire about your experience with chronic pain to understand how this has changed over time.
Current participant opportunities
Inspired to continue participating in UK Biobank? Take a look at the current participant opportunities you can get involved in.
Take part in our imaging project and help to transform research into diseases like dementia, heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.
Fill out our online questionnaires to help us build on our existing data with new insights into your health.