Nov 13 2024, 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Virtual

In this session, the Biobanking and Biospecimen Research Services (BBRS) co-leaders, Sheila O’Donoghue and Tamsin Tarling, will present an overview of the available biobanking resources, such as best practices and standards, educational programs, biobank locators (for finding existing collections of biospecimens for research projects) and BBRS’s free consulting services. This interactive session will also give attendees an opportunity to ask questions about ethical issues, as well as about starting up, maintaining and expanding a research biobank. 

The event will also feature a discussion moderated by Michelle Storms, Director, VCHRI Clinical Research Unit.

Learning objectives

In this workshop you will learn:

  • the value of utilizing biobanks in research
  • the best practices and standards in biobanking
  • the ethical issues commonly associated with biobanks

This workshop is part of our VCHRI Research Training Series. This series is designed to support the acquisition of advanced skills, techniques and knowledge and lead to enhanced practices in the conduct of research.

About the speakers
Sheila O’Donoghue is the co-leader of the BBRS unit at BC Cancer and is also responsible for the national Canadian Tissue Repository Network (CTRNet) biobank certification and education programs. Prior to her current roles, she was the project manager for the BC BioLibrary and spent more than 15 years managing national and local clinical trials. Previously, she was Chair of the Education and Training Committee of the International Biobanking Society (ISBER) and a member of the BC Cancer Research Ethics Board.

 

Tamsin Tarling is the program leader of the CTRNet and co-leader of the BC Cancer BBRS. She has worked in the field of biobanking since 2011 and contributed to the CTRNet education modules. Tarling has extensive experience in establishing biobanks, both disease specific and campus wide hospital biobanks. Her experience encompasses all aspects of biobanking, including the consent of patients, specimen collection, management of Standard Operating Procedures and ensuring good governance over the collection, storage and distribution of specimens. She is the chair of the ISBER Education and Training and the biobank expert on the BC Cancer Research Ethics Board.

 

Primary health service delivery area