UK Biobank

Join us at ESHG 2024 on June 1st for an exciting workshop! Discover how to effectively leverage health data, explore our UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform, and learn about accessing our Global Researcher Access Fund. Don't miss out! #eshg2024 https://lnkd.in/esnqkRX9

Read our full response to the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change data trust report, where our CEO, Professor Rory Collins highlights how “Providing NHS England with sufficient long-term funding would not only enable research into ways to improve public health and patient care, but it would also help the NHS to deliver healthcare better.” https://lnkd.in/eh9QZZb4

As construction starts on our new HQ, our Head of Laboratory Samantha Welsh shares how this is an exciting step forward in our work to further power public health research across the globe: “The new facility’s lab and robotic freezer will allow us to meet the growing demand for our millions of unique biological samples, enabling scientists across the world to make great leaps forward in health and disease research” Read more 👇

Exciting next step in our new HQ at Manchester Science Park! Samantha Welsh, Head of Laboratory at UK Biobank said, “The new UK Biobank facility – with the state-of-the-art robotic freezer – will enable our millions of samples to be accessed more efficiently, resulting in more data, which can be used to propel research into diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes."

We are delighted to share the news that our CEO, Professor Rory Collins has been chosen to feature in the inaugural TIME 100 Health list, recognising the 100 most influential and innovative people in health this year. To see Professor Collins’ full interview with TIME magazine, and check out the inspiring people featured alongside our CEO, read here: https://ow.ly/Qh2I50RuJG6 Professor Collins’ inclusion in this prestigious list highlights the extraordinary impact he has had at the helm of UK Biobank, only made possible by our participants and the hard-working people behind the scenes. https://ow.ly/a5r850RuJG7

It’s our 10-year imaging anniversary! We have been scanning the brains, hearts, bones and abdomens of tens of thousands of our volunteers for science for a decade now. To celebrate this milestone, we are sharing 10 examples of how these images have been used so far to better understand human disease. Here are some highlights: ❤️ Heart MRI scans showed diabetes can cause changes such as thicker left ventricle walls, helping to diagnose heart damage earlier in those with diabetes. 🦠 Brain MRIs taken before and after infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 highlighted that even mild COVID-19 cases can lead to tissue damage, as well as reduction in areas of the brain linked to smell. 🧠 And brain MRIs were also analysed alongside biological samples such as blood to reveal that the ‘biological age’ of an organ can impact the ageing process of other organs around the body. This finding could aid in the earlier diagnosis of age-related diseases. To learn more about how our one-of-a-kind imaging dataset is being used to advance health research, go to our website: https://ow.ly/sh5A50Rsg1h

Congratulations to the Chair of our Board, Professor Lord Ajay Kakkar, on being appointed as one of four new Companions of the Most Noble Order of the Garter! https://lnkd.in/eXcB2Evs

Our CEO Prof Rory Collins and Chief Scientist Prof Naomi Allen discuss UK Biobank’s vast data storage in a new Amazon Web Services (AWS) blog. AWS hosts our purpose-built, secure cloud-based platform where researchers can access UK Biobank’s vast database. This is known as the UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform. This enables researchers to access and analyse our 30-petabyte large dataset in a centralised environment, giving them the flexibility to manage increasing quantities of data. To learn more about how this platform represents a step in “UK Biobank’s journey to becoming a globally accessible dataset for health researchers”, read the full blog below: https://shorturl.at/pEJZ1

📣 We are delighted to have been awarded Bio-IT World 2024 Innovative Best Practices Global Impact Award for the UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform powered by DNAnexus! With over 30 petabytes of data on 500k participants it is a unprecedented tool for health research: https://ow.ly/7wRB50RhTtW

🌍 Our newly launched Global Researcher Access Fund will help to enable researchers like Dr Abhishek Mahesh Appaji access vital data for their studies. Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Find out more here: https://ow.ly/K1iJ50Rg2e5 🗣️ Please share news of this fantastic opportunity with all those who you think may benefit!