Introduction to Biobanking Course
The purpose of the Introduction to Biobanking Course is to give you a general overview of the key issues in establishing, maintaining and accessing a biobank.
The education program includes ten online modules designed to provide 'how-to' knowledge for researchers, biobankers and pathology laboratory staff and 'what is' knowledge for stakeholders (e.g. public, ethics board members). The program is delivered by NSW Health Pathology and is based on a program developed in Canada by the Office of Biobank Education and Research (OBER) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver and the Canadian Tissue Repository Network (CTRNet). The NSW Health Pathology program contains Australian-specific content regarding the laws, regulations and guidelines applicable to research and information about both private and public health care.
Part of a statewide framework, this program is aimed at enhancing the quality of biobanking to ensure we have a world-class, sustainable approach to managing human biobanks and associated medical research.
The titles and focus of each module are listed below:
- Module 1 - Basics of Biobanking
- This module provides an introductory overview of biobanking including key issues in establishing, maintaining and accessing a biobank.
- Module 2 - Governance and Planning
- The overall objective of this module is to introduce you to the concept of biobank governance and its importance to the everyday operations of a biobank.
- Module 3 - Ethics, Privacy and Security
- This module discusses the importance of ensuring that biospecimens and personal health-related information are used ethically and optimally for research purposes.
- Module 4 - Facility Design and Safety
- This module provides you with information on the fundamental physical components of a biobank facility. It also covers the importance of biobank facility design and security in maintaining a safe environment.
- Module 5 - Quality Management and Process Improvement
- This module provides general information on the importance of quality management and process improvement for biobanks.
- Module 6 - Informed Consent
- The purpose of this module is to identify and describe processes related to informed consent in the biobank setting.
- Module 7 - Biospecimen Collection and Processing
- This module provides an overview of the types of biospecimens commonly collected and stored in a biobank and the procedures involved in biospecimen collection and processing.
- Module 8 - Biospecimen Storage and Distribution
- This module provides an overview of proper biospecimen storage, retrieval and sample distribution procedures for a biobank.
- Module 9 - Data Systems and Records Management
- This module provides an overview of the types of data systems and records management systems used for storing biospecimen data.
- Module 10 – Biobanking Focused within Pathology Departments
- This module will provide information on biobanking activities that occur within diagnostic pathology departments and include considerations laboratories need to take into account when undertaking biobanking.
Developed by:
Endorsed by:
Partnered with:
