Using biosamples and data for own research projects

The cohort study and the brain bank collect a multitude of biosamples, stored in biobanks. The biosamples and corresponding data are available for scientific projects for the members of the network as well as other research institutions. The committee on exploitation of data and biomaterial, ethics and data security (FaBIO) decides upon project proposals for cellular and non-cellular biosamples. The application process is two-stage.

Submit a proposal

The first step is to submit the project idea for the usage of cellular and non-cellular biosamples via a letter of intent to the administrative office of the KKNMS. The members of FaBIO respond within four weeks and inform the applicant if a detailed project proposal shall be submitted. If the proposal includes research with CNS biomaterial, the leader of the CNS-biobank (Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Brück, University Göttingen) is consulted. Further experts, such as a statistician or MRI expert, are involved if their expertise is required. Additionally the leaders of the biobanks issue a statement on the feasibility of the proposed project. In general the data protection commissioner of the KKNMS (Edda Sauer, LMU Clinic, Marburg) has the power to veto.

Constitution of the committee

FaBIO consists of seven members entitled to vote. They are nominated every year. The determining factor for nomination is the number of recruited patients of each study center for the cohort study within the previous twelve months. From year three of the study onwards, the follow up visits carried out are counted. Currently, Prof. Dr. Then Bergh, University Hospital Leipzig, is spokesperson of the FaBIO.