NIHR BioSource Project

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Norfolk Clinical Research Facility team, based at the Quadram Institute, will be recruiting participants to the NIHR BioResource, a publicly funded national research resource with a network of 28 centres across England and a community of 350,000 volunteers.

The Norfolk team are calling on volunteers to come forward to help advance medical knowledge and future patient care.

The NIHR Bioresource links researchers with people willing to participate in research and provides approved researchers access to genetic, clinical and lifestyle information collected from its community of volunteer participants. Individuals who join will be asked to provide samples such as blood or saliva for genetic analysis, as well as relevant health and lifestyle information to support research. Participants may also be contacted about taking part in future studies.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) BioResource team includes research nurses, specialist nurses and research midwives, working alongside doctors and under the leadership of Dr Kate Read as the Principal Investigator. The team aim to recruit participants from a variety of settings, including outpatient departments, inpatient wards, specialist clinics, and community events, to maximise recruitment opportunities and support inclusive participation.

Approved researchers can use the NIHR BioResource to find and contact volunteers who have already agreed to be approached about research. This makes it quicker and easier for participants to be recruited into research studies, helping research to commence more efficiently. Your personal details will only be available to authorised members of the NIHR BioResource team and regulatory authorities who monitor that the study is being carried out correctly.

NNUH will be recruiting for two BioResource cohorts:

🔎 D-CYPHR (DNA, Children + Young People’s Health Resource) supports research into childhood health conditions by involving children and young people aged 0–15 years to improve our understanding of how genetics and environmental factors influence a wide range of childhood conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, mental health conditions and rare diseases.

🔎 Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) BioResource focuses on improving understanding of health conditions that disproportionately affect people from Black ethnic backgrounds, including sickle cell disease.

By joining the BioResource, participants can contribute to health research aimed at improving our understanding of health and disease and supporting the development of new treatments and interventions. Contact the study team via email at NIHRbioresource@nnuh.nhs.uk or visit the BioResource website: https://bioresource.nihr.ac.uk/