International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023 & reflection on our work with Purple Goat
In celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023 and Disability History Month, the BioResource would like to share some of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work we have been doing via our partnership with the inclusive marketing agency, Purple Goat.
Celebrating our Centres - Moorfields
This week, we hear from our colleagues at the NIHR BioResource Centre Moorfields in London about their rare and common eye disorders research. We also celebrate examples of recent progress and find out about the outcomes from a successful patient and public co-development project.
Get to know the Governance and Ethics team at the NIHR BioResource
Who are they, what a day looks like in the team and everything involved in making our Governance and Ethics team one of the key resources as part of the NIHR BioResource!
Celebrating our Centres – London UCLH
This week we spoke to the team in London at BioResource Centre UCLH about what they’ve been working on and their priorities ahead. Learn about PPIE activity, what various members of the team have to say, how volunteer data is being used, and plans to engage underrepresented groups in the future.
Celebrating our Centres - Leicester
This week we spoke to the team at the NIHR BioResource Centre Leicester about community engagement events at supermarkets to promote participation in research. In tandem, we also learn about Leicester’s very own NHS Trust Chief Executive, who has made a personal commitment to health research, recently joining the NIHR BioResource.
Happy 3rd Birthday to The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) UK!
The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative in the UK (EDGI UK) was launched 3 years ago, recruiting members of the public who have experienced any eating disorder. We spoke to the team to find out what's happened since the launch in 2020, achievements to date, who they've collaborated with and how you can take part.
Sickle Cell Awareness Month 2023 – urgent plea for more donors of Black heritage
During this year’s Sickle Cell Awareness Month, the NHSBT urgently plea for 12,000 new Black donors, as demand from hospitals continues to grow. We discuss our contributions to blood disorder research, hailing the involvement from our volunteers and the importance of representation of diverse ethnic groups in health research.
Get to know the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) team at the NIHR BioResource
Who are they, what a day looks like in the team and everything involved in making our Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) team one of the core cogs in the workings of the NIHR BioResource!
Reflecting on our campaign to increase volunteer diversity
NIHR BioResource for Translational Research writes...As our 12-week campaign with Egality Health and eight community-based health advocacy organisations has come to a close, we’re reflecting on our successes and sharing some key learnings going forward. We also heard from some of our community organisation leaders on their thoughts on the campaign and the future of health research.
Black Internship Programme 2023
For the third year running, the NIHR BioResource is delighted to welcome two interns to work with us as we continue our support for the Health Data Science Black Internship Programme. This initiative helps provide opportunities for talented early-career Black people in the UK to flourish in their future health data science careers.
Celebrating our Centres - Exeter
This week we hear from our colleagues in the southwest about post-pandemic recruitment milestones, engaging with local community at agricultural shows, their Cystic Fibrosis and Monogenic Beta Cell Diabetes team, and collaborative work to increase the diversity of public involvement groups.
Celebrating our Centres - Southampton
Our series continues this week with an update from our colleagues in Wessex. The team share some exciting updates including increased BRC funding to expand research themes, their approach to working with researchers and clinicians across the region, and public involvement initiatives coming up.
NIHR BioResource - Celebrating our Centres - Birmingham
The NIHR BioResource Centre Birmingham team have been busy on the ground engaging with local communities at events, talking about the NAFLD BioResource and patient participation on local radio, and getting professional videos made to promote diversity, participation and the value of research.
Living with SANDO – a long road to diagnosis
42-year-old Mark shares his story living with Sensory Ataxic Neuropathy, Dysarthria, and Ophthalmoparesis (SANDO) disease, a rare mitochondrial condition that affects the brain, muscles, nerves and eyes. He discusses everything from the long road to diagnosis, his brother developing symptoms during adulthood, how it impacts him in daily life, and why he chooses to participate in health research.
NIHR IMID BioResource recruits its 10,000th volunteer in major milestone
The platform for research into Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases (IMIDs) has now signed up 10,000 participants nationwide. Find out about the value of having such a large cohort and what it means for future research studies into IMIDs.
D-CYPHR goes live across the UK
Largest ever DNA and health research programme for children and young people launches to tackle toughest health challenges – through the power of spit.
Celebrating our Centres - Maudsley
This week we hear from the team at NIHR BioResource Centre London Maudsley about what they’ve been up to post-pandemic. Volunteer recruitment, research studies, and community events are just a few to name alongside an exciting new initiative being launched in collaboration with the NIHR BioResource to promote research in black communities.
NIHR BioResource celebrate Newcastle centre
To kick off the new series of articles celebrating regional BioResource Centres, the team interviewed Newcastle’s IMID/NAFLD Project Coordinator Amber Ali about her role opening over 60 recruitment sites over the past couple years, as well as a general update on what the Newcastle Centre team have been up to since the pandemic.
Recap of the first NIHR BioResource Scientific Conference 2023
On 28 June 2023, we held our first NIHR BioResource Scientific Conference – find out more about how it went, the topics discussed and the feedback we received!
An incredible resource for researchers
Before the 75th anniversary of the NHS on 5th July, NIHR BioResource Director Nathalie took time to reflect on the NIHR BioResource’s unique relationship with the NHS with University of Cambridge's Craig Brierley.
Why you should volunteer with the BioResource - the journey of donating
Our campaign with Egality Health and 8 fantastic community organisations continues to progress and we have some more exciting updates to share with you on what we are doing/working on to address issues surrounding the underrepresentation in health research of these diverse ethnic groups.
World-first NHS test to curb transfusion side-effects for thousands with Inherited Blood Disorders
The NHS is set to introduce a new genetic blood-matching test – developed through a collaboration with partners including the NIHR BioResource - for thousands living with sickle-cell disease or thalassaemia that could reduce some of the side-effects of transfusion treatments.
Study involving BioResource volunteers finds that obesity accelerates loss of COVID-19 vaccination immunity
Following publication of a new study led by scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh, we asked co-lead of the Cambridge team, Dr James Thaventhiran, about the role of the BioResource and our volunteers in facilitating this study that suggests people with obesity are likely to need more frequent COVID-19 booster doses to maintain immunity.
NIHR BioResource Scientific Conference 2023
This online event is free to attend and open to anyone but aimed primarily at academic, industry and NHS researchers, based in the UK or overseas. Join us on 28th June to hear from existing BioResource research partners on the breadth of exciting research made possible using our infrastructure.
NIHR BioResource and REPROCELL – Establishing a research stem cell bank for inherited genetic disorders
The NIHR BioResource and three of our rare disease volunteers have supported a study that aims to aid in the discovery and development of new drugs and potential treatments for many common and rare diseases.