Grab a cup of coffee and join a table discussion. These focused groups are designed for conference attendees to discuss important and interesting topics related to biospecimens from procurement, preservation, biomolecular extraction, and biomarkers. These are moderated discussions with brainstorming and interactive problem solving, allowing conference participants from diverse areas to exchange ideas, experiences, and develop future collaborations around a focused topic.
Gross Anatomy and Challenges of a Functioning Biorepository
Sanjay Jain, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine (Renal), Pathology, & Immunology; Co-Director, Kidney Translation Research Core, Washington University School of Medicine
Topics to be discussed include:
- Consent issues, intra and interinstitutional, private practice
- Enrollment methods, strategies
- Clinical data acquisition methods and elements
- Clinical data entry issues
- Biospecimen acquisition methods and types of specimens, preanalytical parameters
- Data and specimen processing, management and biomedical informatics
- Challenges in linking clinical data with biospecimen data and highthroughput research data
- Mining data, query, to get information out
- Accessibility and quality control
Things I Wish I’d Known Before Banking the First Sample for a BioBank
Alexandra Lerch-Gaggl, Ph.D., Scientific Director, Pediatric BioBank & Analytical Tissue Core, Children's Research Institute, Medical College of WisconsinTopics to be discussed include:
- Consenting
- Proactive collection process
- Storage Facilities and Supplies
- Accessioning of specimens, biobanking database software
- Retrieval/Distribution of samples
- SOPs and Best Practices
Creating Value Added Quality Control and Assurance Panels for Multiple Biospecimen Types
Deanna Cross, Ph.D., Project Scientist, Personalized Medicine Research Project, Center for Human Genetics, Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation
Topics to be discussed include:
- Engaging investigators in panel development.
- Weighing competing priorities, including cost, QA benefit, and future research benefit
- Demonstrating dual use
Improving Your Sample Quality by Controlling Preanalytical Variables
David Craft, Ph.D., Group Leader, Proteomics R&D, BD Diagnostics
- This roundtable will center the discussion on maintaining high quality protein samples in blood under clinical settings
Best Practices: Convenience, Tradition, Scientific Foundations and Consensus
John Baust, Ph.D., UNESCO Chair & Professor; Director, Institute of Biomedical Technology, Binghamton University, Editor-in-Chief, Biopreservation & BioBanking
Topics to be discussed include:
- What are the critical issues in best practices documentation
- What are the scientific rationales for best practices recommendations?
- How can we arrive at a consensus that requires process change?
Economically Viable Business Models for Biobanks
Lynn Bry, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Crimson Bio-Specimen Core, Partners Healthcare Systems
Topics to be discussed include:
- Developing business models appropriate for known needs
- Leveraging IT and operational infrastructure to create a sustainable resource
- Use cases for sample and data collection and use
Sample Collection and Storage Considerations in Biobanking
Farid E. Ahmed, Ph.D., Director, GEM Tox Consultants & Labs, Inc.
Topics to be discussed include:
- Influence of collection time on sampling in "omics"
- Sample handling & storage for "omics”
- Pre-analytical "omics" sample variation in biobanking
Biospecimens for Proteomic Studies: What Do Researchers Need?
Iulia M. Lazar, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and State University
Topics to be discussed include:
- type of specimens needed
- form of preservation
- amounts needed (single/replicate analysis)
- collection of specimens
- feasibility/costs
Initiative for a Private-Public Blood Biobanking Consortium
Olivier C. Maes Ph.D., Research Scientist, Bloomfield Centre for Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research
Topics to be discussed include:
- Government’s role for a North-American blood biobanking consortium
- Industry’s participation in facilitating blood processing and analysis
- Academia’s role in downstream fundamental research
- Consortium’s role in the management of biomarker and drug discovery
Potential for Collaboration in Biospecimen Science
Helen M. Moore, Ph.D., Director, Biospecimen Research Network, Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research, Office of the Director, National Cancer Institute
Kimberly Myers, Director, caHUB Partnerships Management; Program Manager, Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research, National Cancer Institute
Topics to be discussed include:
- What types of biospecimen research are needed to further R&D?
- What types of biospecimen research are performed in your organization?
- What opportunities for collaboration might be possible for your organization and others?
If you have a topic idea or would like to moderate a table, please contact:Charlotte Cutter, Conference Production Assistant
Phone: 781-972-5476
E-mail: ccutter@healthtech.com