UK Biobank has reached a historic milestone – completing 100,000 whole-body imaging scans in the largest and most detailed human imaging study ever undertaken. This achievement was celebrated on 16 July 2025 with two high-profile events at the Royal Society and the House of Commons, marking a proud moment for UK science and research.
Launched in 2014, the UK Biobank Imaging Project set out to scan the brains, hearts, abdomens, bones and blood vessels of 100,000 volunteers using advanced MRI, DXA, and ultrasound technologies. Each participant underwent a five-hour session, generating over one billion images that are now powering research into diseases such as dementia, heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.
This dataset is a gift to humanity. It requires partnerships and collaboration. It’s a real flagship jewel in the crown of discovery science.
Professor Rachel McKendry, Wellcome
The imaging study was made possible through core funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC), Wellcome, the British Heart Foundation (BHF), and Dementias Platform UK, with additional support from Calico Life Sciences and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for the repeat imaging phase.
By linking imaging scans with genetic, lifestyle, and health records from UK Biobank’s 500,000 participants, researchers are uncovering unprecedented insights into how diseases develop, progress, and vary across populations.
A scientific showcase at the Royal Society
Held on the morning of 16 July 2025, the Royal Society event brought together funders and leading scientists to explore how the imaging data is driving research breakthroughs.
Presentations from international researchers across academia and industry highlighted the potential of repeat imaging to capture change over time and enhance understanding of disease mechanisms.
The event was a celebration of collaborative achievement and a forward-looking view of opportunities to come such as even further enhancements and data collection to continue transformational effects on how we detect and diagnose disease.
UK Biobank is an engine for hypotheses and the gift that keeps on giving.
Professor Sir Mark Walport, Foreign Secretary & Vice President, Royal Society
The event was brought to a close by Professor Sir Mark Walport, Foreign Secretary and Vice President at the Royal Society (previously Government Chief Scientific Adviser and former Director of the Wellcome Trust) who said:
“UK Biobank is an engine for hypotheses and the gift that keeps on giving.”
You can watch back all the presentations from the event below:
A celebration of UK science at the House of Commons
Later that evening, UK Biobank hosted a reception at the House of Commons to engage policymakers, core funders, and prospective supporters in health and life sciences.
The event was chaired by Lord Kakkar, Chair of UK Biobank’s Board, and featured remarks from Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, who hailed UK Biobank as: “a jewel in the crown of UK science.”
Presentations from Professor Paul Matthews, Chair of the Imaging Working Group, and Professor Naomi Allen, Chief Scientist of UK Biobank, emphasised the growing impact of the imaging resource, already underpinning over 1,300 research papers worldwide. To explore more, read a selection of research stories about how healthcare is being changed by discoveries made with imaging data.
Looking ahead
With the initial imaging phase complete, UK Biobank is now advancing a repeat imaging study involving 60,000 participants to strengthen understanding of ageing and disease progression. Researchers are eager to build on this extraordinary foundation and continue driving progress in biomedical science.
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