Ireland’s Path to Joining BBMRI-ERIC: Highlights from the 3rd BioBANC Symposium

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On September 6th, BBMRI-ERIC’s Director General, Jens Habermann, and Johanna Kostenzer, Senior Public Affairs Specialist, took part in the third BioBANC Symposium, a key event hosted by the University of Galway, Ireland.

Jana Pavlic-Zupanc, Head of Public Affairs at BBMRI, comments on the progress of the Irish biobanking community as it prepares to join BBMRI-ERIC, stating:

“BBMRI-ERIC is very glad to see that the Irish biobanking community is organising itself and working towards the membership of BBMRI.

“We will be working very closely with them as well as with relevant government departments towards welcoming Ireland amongst the BBMRI-ERIC Member States and our community. BBMRI-ERIC is committed to having all EU Member States in the infrastructure, thereby truly uniting the European biobanking community.”

The Symposium facilitated essential discussions and collaboration among experts in biobanking, research, and healthcare.

Speaking about the event and the benefits of becoming a member of BBMRI-ERIC, Johanna Kostenzer, Senior Public Affairs Specialist at BBMRI-ERIC, says:

“We were delighted to attend the annual BioBANC symposium in Ireland this September, where we explored the value of joining BBMRI-ERIC and the pivotal role of biobanking in advancing personalised medicine, innovative treatments, and public health research.

“At BBMRI-ERIC, we are pleased to see that the Irish biobanking community is well-prepared and eager to join our network. Building strong partnerships is essential for driving medical research and innovation across Europe, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration with the Irish biobanking community in the future.”

Programme and speakers

The day began with the workshop “Pathway to Ireland joining BBMRI-ERIC”, which provided valuable insights and fostered networking opportunities, paving the way for enhanced collaboration in biobanking practices across Ireland and Europe. The speakers included:

• Prof Michael Kerin (Chair of Surgery, University of Galway) – Welcome
• Ms Oonagh Ward (Head of Research and Innovation Infrastructures, HRB) – Opening: Setting the scene of biobanking in Ireland
• Prof Jens K. Habermann (Director General, BBMRI-ERIC) – Keynote: Connecting Ireland to Europe’s Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure
• Dr Eva Ortega-Paino (Secretary General for Research, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Spain) – Keynote: Sharing is caring: The case of BBMRI Spain
• Panel Discussion (Future of Irish Biobanking Community Roadmap towards BBMRI-ERIC membership):
  • Chair: Emma Snapes (BioConsulting)
  • Dr Sonja Khan (Head of Education, Institute for Clinical Trials, University of Galway)
  • Prof Jens Habermann (Director General, BBMRI-ERIC)
  • Dr Eva Ortega-Paino (Secretary General, Ministry of Science, Spain)
  • Dr Robert O’Connor (Director, HRB-National Clinical Trials Office, UCC)
  • Billy McCann (PPI Member, NBWG and NREC for Medical Devices, IPPOSI Graduate)
  • Prof Fai Ng (Director, HRB CRF UCC, Head, National Clinical Trials Office, UCC)
  • Dr Avril Kennan (CEO, Health Research Charities Ireland – HRCI)
  • Orlaith Gavan (Chief Medical Officer, Pfizer Healthcare Ireland)

The afternoon session, “Quality Matters” was chaired by Prof. Jacqueline James from Northern Ireland Biobank and featured presentations from experts on biobanking standards, accreditation, and sustainability. The speakers included:

• Linda Hendy (Standards Officer, NSAI) – Standard and standard development for biobanking
• William Clarke (Senior Assessment Manager, INAB) – Accreditation to ISO 20387
• Dr Nicola Miller (Cancer Biobank, University of Galway) – ISBER Best Practices
• Oliver Carroll (Senior Technical Officer, University of Galway) – Biobank Proficiency Testing
• Jack O’Grady (Senior Programme Manager, My Green Lab) – Cold Storage & Sustainability
• Dr Richard Flavin (Head, Histopathology Department, St James’s Hospital, Dublin) – Biobank Ireland Trust
• Prof Sean Hynes (Professor in Pathology, University of Galway) – Poster Prize

Special thanks to Nicola Miller and Sonja Khan from Galway University for organising the Symposium and for their outstanding commitment, which significantly contributed to the success of the event.

The symposium and the dedicated BBMRI workshop marked a key step forward in fostering ongoing collaboration with the Irish biobanking community.