Biobank Cymru

Biobank Cymru, a collaboration between Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor Universities, is the all-Wales contribution to the UK Biobank project, a study of the effect of genes and the environment on genetically complex disease such as heart disease and cancer. Over the next five years 50,000 men and women aged 40-69 years will be recruited from throughout Wales, contributing to the 500,000 participants to be recruited throughout the UK. Biobank is one of the new generation of large scale epidemiological studies, requiring new approaches to the planning of projects and the collection of data. Biobank is not hypothesis driven but has been established as a national and international resource for the public good. As a prospective study Biobank is well placed for nested case-control as well as cohort analyses. Over the next 5-30 years Biobank will provide a unique opportunity for CHSR scientists to become involved in large scale epidemiology.

UK Biobank is funded by the MRC and Wellcome Trust (£M62). Biobank Cymru will be funded at between £M1-3 (PI: Stephen Palmer, Academic lead: John Gallacher)