Human Specimen Repository Harmonization Efforts: Successes, Challenges, and Opportunities for Collaboration

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Meeting Description

There is currently significant interest and activity in standardizing, harmonizing, and coordinating human specimen repository activities. These efforts span the full spectrum of activities involved in repository development and operation, including standardizing, harmonizing, and coordinating specimen collection and processing procedures; collection of associated data; informatics systems; governance and oversight mechanisms; and approaches for addressing the legal, ethical, and policy issues. Numerous groups are exploring various aspects of these activities, including the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER; http://www.isber.org), the NIH Clinical Research Policy Analysis and Coordination Program (CRpac), several NIH Institutes, including NCI, the 3PG Consortium, the International Biobank Leaders Forum, and others.

The mini-symposium will be a collaborative effort between the NIH CRpac program and ISBER. The purpose is to bring together selected groups involved in repository standardization, harmonization, and coordination efforts to share information on their ongoing and planned activities. The groups will seek to define areas of common interest and approach, discuss successes and challenges in repository harmonization, examine possibilities to coordinate activities, and explore ways to work together to promote uniform practices for repository development and operation.

The mini-symposium will be held on the ½ day following the ISBER Annual Meeting in Bethesda, MD, on May 3, 2006 from 2 to 6 p.m.

This mini-symposium will be limited to 100 participants, on a first-come, first-served basis through a pre-registration process.

For more information on program content, contact Marianna Bledsoe, Senior Health Science Policy Advisor, Clinical Research Policy Analysis and Coordination (CRpac) Program, NIH Office of Science Policy, by phone at 301- 435-6869 or by e-mail at bledsoem@od.nih.gov. For information regarding registration and conference logistics, please contact Abbe Smith, Capital Consulting Corporation, by phone at 301-468-6004 ext. 402, or by e-mail at asmith@md.capconcorp.com.