Biobanking

Find out more about our Biobanking  and clinical phenotyping facilities in Wales

Welsh Neuroscience Research Tissue Bank (Cardiff)

The Welsh Neuroscience Research Tissue Bank (WNRTB) serves as a repository of samples donated by patients and volunteers in England and Wales. The aim is to help research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of neurological disease.

Remit:

The Welsh Neuroscience Research Tissue Bank is a collection of samples of human tissue and body fluids obtained from individuals with known neurological diagnoses or undergoing neurological investigations, as well as healthy volunteers from England and Wales. The aim of the tissue bank is to support research that can help find out more about what causes neurological disease, how to prevent it, and how to treat it.

 

Who are we?

The WNRTB is directed by Professor Neil Robertson with Dr Sam Loveless working as the WNRTB Co-ordinator.

Who can donate?

Patients and volunteers can donate if they are:

  • 16 years or over
  • Undergoing investigation for neurological condition, or;
  • Have an established neurological diagnosis, or;
  • A healthy volunteer
  • Happy for sample to be used for genetic research

What samples do we collect?

  • Blood (whole, serum and plasma)
  • DNA
  • Urine
  • Nails
  • Hair
  • Saliva
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)*
  • CSF cells*
  • Brain tissue*
  • Peripheral nerve tissue*

*Samples of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), brain and peripheral nerve tissue can only be obtained if part of routine clinical care. Healthy volunteers are only able to donate blood and saliva.

Governance:

The WNRTB has full approval of the Wales REC3 National Research Ethics Service until 2024 [19/WA/0058] and all samples are held under a Human Tissue Authority Licence within a Cardiff University research lab within the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. The operation of the WNRTB is overseen by the WNRTB governance committee whose role is to ensure that samples are used appropriately in relevant research projects and is fully supported by the Cardiff & Vale UHB Trust and facilitated by clinical and neuroscience laboratory staff, managed by Dr. Samantha Loveless.

 

For more information: 

Swansea Neurology Biobank

The Swansea Neurology Biobank (SNB) collects from volunteers across Wales and the UK. We are interested in the causes and treatment of conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Who are we?

Dr Owen Pickrell is the director of SNB and is supported by an advisory panel of clinical and academic researchers.

Who can donate?

  • You can donate a sample and your clinical data if you are:
  • 16 years or over
  • Undergoing investigation for neurological condition, or;
  • Have an established neurological diagnosis, or;
  • A healthy volunteer
  • Happy for sample to be used for genetic research

Please get in contact

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