The UCL NIHR BioResource initiative to recruit volunteers has hit a huge milestone and now has over 7,000 recruits.
The UCL NIHR BioResource aims to gather 10,000 DNA samples from volunteers and patients across UCL partner hospitals by March 2017 to help researchers find out how genes influence disease. Researchers will recall volunteers based on their DNA (genotype) and by other factors including gender, age and lifestyle, matching them to appropriate research studies.
UCL NIHR BioResource Coordinator Dr Susan Ormrod said: “This is a significant milestone for the UCL NIHR BioResource and the continuing hard work of the team recruiting participants to this initiative means we are well on our way to hitting our March 2017 target.”
The national BioResource project has a core base of more than 50,000 volunteers, with plans to increase to 100,000 by 2017 and hit over one million volunteers in the next five years.
The UCL NIHR BioResource will be key to research on genes and disease. Participation is open to people over the age of 6 years. Volunteers and patients are asked donate their DNA via a blood or saliva sample. The sample will be processed and be used to extract a sample of their DNA which will be stored for future analysis. Volunteers will be asked for their consent to be contacted if and when future research projects need people with their genetic make-up.
The larger the UCL NIHR BioResource becomes the more useful a resource it is for researchers. The UCL NIHR BioResource team therefore regularly hold recruitment stands at various public engagement events across UCL and UCLH.
The UCL BioResource team can be found at stall 3 at the UCLH Research Open Day on 28 June 2016, drop by to find out more and speak to the team.
For queries about the UCL BioResource, including how to participate, email uclbioresource@ucl.ac.uk or call 0203 447 5369.
