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…

Dr. Dominic Bläsing, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, will be the state-of-the-art speaker leading the panel session ‘One Health: Non-human biobanking’. We have profiled his biography and abstract here. Dr. Dominic Bläsing Dominic Bläsing holds a PhD in applied ergonomics and brings extensive experience in psychological research across experimental, field, and epidemiological settings. He currently serves…

Monika Valjan, MA, Biobank Graz, will be the state-of-the-art speaker leading the panel session ‘Green biobanking: Paving the path to sustainable practices’. We have profiled her biography and abstract here. Monika Valjan, MA Monika Valjan, MA, holds a degree in media studies and has been the managing director of Biobank Graz since 2021. In 2017, she…

Dr. Tilman Pfeffer, DZIF Tissue Bank, will be the state-of-the-art speaker leading the panel session ‘Clinical biobanks: Bridging research and patient care’. We have profiled his biography and abstract here.  Dr. Tilman Pfeffer After his PhD study in the late effects of diabetes mellitus with a focus on diabetic nephropathy, Dr. Tilman Pfeffer started at the…

From wildlife conservation via plant diversity and agricultural research to environment monitoring – non-human biobanks play a vital role in preserving genetic diversity and advancing scientific understanding across disciplines. In this session, we will explore the unique challenges and opportunities for non-human biobanks by showcasing their impact towards One Health. This session will be chaired…

Dr. Ronny Baber from University Leipzig will be the state-of-the-art speaker leading the panel session: ‘Implementing and securing quality control in biobanking’. We have profiled his biography and abstract here.  Dr. Ronny Baber Dr. Ronny Baber works in the Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry, and Molecular Diagnostics at the University Hospital Leipzig. He is the…

This session will highlight the critical biobank resources in multi-omics research, their challenges in sample collection and the integration of the requirements of different ‘omics’ fields, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics into the operational biobank routine, clinical applications and IVDR. This session will be chaired by: Dr. Ronny Baber Dr. Ronny Baber works…

This session opens the stage for any special samples, sampling methods or processing techniques that can facilitate innovative research needs and strategies. The focus will be broad and include, among others, novel or rarely collected materials as well as home-based data collection and sampling. This session will be chaired by: Dr. Anna Beskow Dr. Anna…

Dr. Mindaugas Morkūnas from the Vilnius Santaros Klinikos Biobank will be the state-of-the-art speaker leading the panel session: ‘Dataflows in healthcare integrated biobanking’. We have profiled his biography and abstract here.  Dr. Mindaugas Morkūnas Dr. Mindaugas Morkūnas is a senior researcher and bioinformatician at Vilnius Santaros Klinikos Biobank. With over 25 years experience in biotechnology and…

This session explores the transformative impact of new EU regulations on biobanking and their alignment with national laws, focusing on ethical, legal and societal implications (ELSI). Attendees will gain insight into recent EU directives, their implications for consent, data governance and cross-border collaboration, as well as strategies for harmonising national regulations with EU frameworks. This…

Prof. Walter Ricciardi, Cancer Mission Board Chair (EC) and Chair of the BBMRI-ERIC Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board, will give a keynote on the critical need for courageous leadership in science and health in an era marked by unprecedented global challenges. Read more about Prof. Ricciardi here. This post introduces the session chairs: Prof. Marialuisa…

Biobanking would not be possible without taking into account all the ethical, social and legal implications that are inextricably linked to biobanking activities. In this session, we will present the current state of affairs in ELSI as well as how the impetus for innovation and biomedical knowledge production can be enhanced by implementing an embedded…

AI promises integrated solutions to analysing images (e.g. whole slide and/or radiology images), multi-omics data, and clinical information but also faces challenges such as the increasing complexity of managing and integrating data from different sources and the need to efficiently use machine learning-based algorithms to process and understand big data. This session will discuss challenges…

This session will discuss the key role of clinical biobanks in linking research with patient care in the era of personalised medicine. It will address the challenges biobanks face, including ethical concerns and data management, and present innovative solutions. Experts will discuss successful case studies demonstrating how biobanks are improving patient engagement and streamlining research…

Prof. Dr. Milani from the University of Tartu will give a keynote discussing MyGenome, an online portal providing over 100,000 participants with personalised genetic risk reports and interactive health insights. The keynote will provide an overview of the portal and the feedback received from participants. Read more about Prof. Dr. Milani here. This post introduces the…

In recent years, discussions on sustainability have focused mainly on the development of business plans to ensure financial viability. With the high energy costs and climate crisis that we are currently facing, a new dimension has been added to the topic of sustainability. In this session, we will present examples of how green biobanking and…

Rare diseases, which affect fewer than 1 in 2,000 people, pose unique challenges to research and healthcare, often due to limited sample availability and the diverse nature of these diseases. In this session, we will explore the intricacies of biobanking and its key role in accelerating rare disease research as well as the active contribution…

Medical studies based on data of unknown or questionable quality are useless or even dangerous, as shown by recent examples of withdrawn studies. In this session, there will be a discussion on innovative quality dimensions for data sets linked to biobanks and proposed representations of both metadata and data quality documentation to help researchers effectively…

It is our pleasure to introduce Prof. Dr. Lili Milani from the University of Tartu as the second keynote speaker at #EBW25. The subject of the keynote will be ‘Bringing the benefits of biobanking closer to the people’. Prof. Dr. Lili Milani Prof. Dr. Milani is the Head of the Estonian Biobank and professor of…

We are honored to announce that the first keynote of #EBW25 will be delivered by Prof. Walter Ricciardi, Cancer Mission Board Chair (EC) and Chair of the BBMRI-ERIC Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board. The subject of the keynote will be ‘The need for courageous leadership in science and health in challenging times’. Prof. Walter Ricciardi…