Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology

A three-day practical course on the infrastructural possibilities to conduct biobank-based studies in Sweden.

Course date: February 15-17, 2005
Place: Fridhemsborg, Malmö, Sweden
Contact: Joakim Dillner
 

Final programme and practical information

Sweden provides unique possibilities for biobank research. Each year, Swedish biobanks add more than 3,000,000 biological samples to their collections. Together with well-functioning official registries and the National Registration Number that enables linkage of different databases, these biobanks make part of an infrastructure particularly suitable for population based biobank studies.

The individual researcher, however, has several obstacles to surpass before launching his study. First, the biobanks are constructed within many different health care programs, and information about location of the samples can be hard to obtain. Second, identification of research subjects in population based studies often involves the use of our official registries and handling these data sources requires knowledge of their organization and coverage. Third, biobanks and research ethics have been subjected to new legislation lately, and basic knowledge of these laws is essential for all researchers who are to conduct biobank studies in Sweden. Fourth, the researcher must master state-of-the-art knowledge about efficient study designs and realise the possibilities and limitations of technological platforms and data analysis.

The aim of the present three-day course is to give practical advice on how biobank-based studies can be conducted in Sweden.

The course is intended for all researchers whose hypotheses can be addressed through the use of biological samples.

The course is organized and sponsored jointly by Swegene and by the Wallenberg Consortium North (WCN)

The programme and practical information about the course can be downloaded here (final version). You can also contact Joakim Dillner.

Please notify Anna Olofsson your intention to participate at this fee free course at anna.olofsson@mikrobiol.mas.lu.se, phone 040-33 61 53, fax 040-33 73 12.

The number of participants is limited. We need your registration at the latest on the 17th of January 2005.