#EBW25 Previews: 5D: Securing the future of biobanks: New collaboration models for sustainability
A new collaborative model for the sustainability of biobanks emphasises partnerships between academic institutions, healthcare organisations, government agencies and private sector stakeholders. This session will explore how by pooling resources, knowledge and technology, these entities can improve the quality and accessibility of biological samples that are critical to disease research, treatments and public health initiatives while ensuring the sustained engagement of citizens.
This session will be chaired by:
Prof. Nikolai Pace
Prof. Nikolai Pace is an associate professor within the Department of Anatomy and an investigator in human genetics at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Malta.
Prof. Pace obtained his PhD from the University of Malta, working on genomics of risk stratification in type 2 diabetes. His current research interests focus on medical genomics, molecular endocrinology and the application of omics to rare disease medicine.
He is the national node director of BBMRI.mt and the director of DwarnaBio, a national population-based biobank that aims to serve as a resource for genomic research in the Maltese population. He is also a working group member on the Million Genomes of Europe project.
Dr. Outi Törnwall
Dr. Outi Törnwall is director of data partnerships at BC Platforms, where she advances the growth of a global real-world data and biobank network to support drug development and personalised medicine.
With over 10 years of experience in global data collaboration, her work bridges clinical, genomic, and sample data across international ecosystems. She previously worked at BBMRI-ERIC and was elected co-chair of the ESBB Vendor Representation Committee in 2020. She holds a PhD in twin genetics and sensory science from the University of Helsinki.
Session details
- Date: Thursday 15 May
- Time: 14:00-15:30