The Oxford Biobank is a population-based cohort of healthy men and women who have consented to be re-approached for future research studies. This is particularly important for studies that wish to recruit very particular people, perhaps those who have a particular genetic makeup or a tendency to deposit body fat in particular places.
The Oxford Biobank is the largest random population-based cohort in the UK dedicated to the conduct of these recall studies. In January 2017 it included 8,000 men and women recruited within the age range of 30 to 50 years. This is a very efficient way to conduct research as we already have data for every participant on:
- Demographic and social characteristics
- Anthropometry, including height, weight, waist and hip circumference,
- Body composition measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
- Biomarkers of diabetes and cardiovascular risk, including inflammatory mediators
- Genotype (Affymetrix Axiom Array and Illumina Exome Array)
Find out more on the Oxford Biobank website.
Access for researchers
All data available through The Oxford Biobank can be used by internal (University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust) and external investigators. The Oxford Biobank steering committee will review all proposals. Once the proposals are accepted, a costing model will be calculated based on level of access and the nature of the work. This helps to ensure the future sustainability of the cohort.
Volunteering
Would you like to become a participant in the Oxford Biobank and support new advances in medical research? Find out more about other volunteers’ experiences.