ISBER Best Practices Webinar Series: Best Practices for Best Practices 5!

Join us for a special webinar series highlighting key updates in the 5th Edition of ISBER’s Best Practices for Repositories. Each session will explore major changes from BP4 to BP5, practical applications of the updated guidelines, and lessons learned from real-world implementation in biobanks worldwide.

Offered live and recorded, these 75–90 minute webinars will run monthly from August to December 2025. All sessions are presented in English and based on content from the BP5 publication and real-world operational experience.

📅 Webinar Schedule

OPERATIONS
🗓️ August 27, 2025 | 12:00 PM EDT
Presenters:

• Ian Pope, IC Biomedical, USA
  
• Billy Schleif, Johns Hopkins All Children's Pediatric Biorepository, USA

Synopsis:

In 90 minutes, the co-presenters will provide key updates on the ISBER Best Practices relating to Operations, including the setting up and maintenance of facilities and equipment, personnel and organizational management, communication strategies, risk management, and recovery planning. These specific topic areas will be linked to real work examples and integrations, experienced by the co-presenters themselves, together with opportunities for attendees to ask questions and discuss personal scenarios they may be addressing in their own environment.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand key updates between the 4th and 5th Editions of the ISBER Best Practices relating to Operations. 
• Develop expertise in Operational areas required for building and maintaining a Biorepository facility. 
• Practice knowledge implementation via evaluation at your own facility for gaps in Best Practices and construct solutions for improvement.
  

LEVERAGING YOUR COLLECTION —SHARING, DISTRIBUTION & COLLABORATION
🗓️ September 18, 2025 | 12:00 PM EDT
Presenters:

• Nilay Chakraborty, ATCC, USA
• Adelina Ovcharenko, MIDGAM - Israel National Biobank for Research, Israel

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GOVERNANCE & PLANNING
🗓️ October 27, 2025 | 4:00 PM EDT
Presenters:

• Samantha Higgins, Victoria Cancer Biobank, Melbourne, Australia
• Peter Kilbride, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University, UK

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ETHICAL, LEGAL &SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
🗓️ November 13, 2025 | 11:00 EDT
Presenters:

• Ahmed Samir Abdelhafiz, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Egypt
• Paulo Holanda, Bioquallis Consultoria, Brazil

Synopsis:

This webinar on the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) in biobanking highlights the significant expansion of this section in the 5th edition of ISBER Best Practices compared to the 4th edition. The updated version places greater emphasis on core ethical concepts while acknowledging the diversity of legal systems and cultural contexts across different regions. The session will explore key additions introduced in the 5th edition, focusing on how these changes align with the international landscape of biobanking. A special focus will also be given to the newly added subsections addressing the ELSI considerations of non-human biobanking, including animal, microbial, and plant samples, an important development not present in detail in earlier editions. This webinar aims to provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the evolving ELSI framework and its application across global biobanking settings, supporting ethical and culturally sensitive practices.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key updates in the ELSI section of the 5th edition of ISBER Best Practices compared to the 4th edition.
• Understand how ethical principles are applied across diverse legal and cultural settings.
• Recognize the importance of ELSI considerations in animal, plant, and microbial biobanking

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QUALITY MANAGEMENT

🗓️ December 9, 2025 | 12:00 PM EDT
Presenters:

• Anna Michalska-Falkowska, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
• Purnima Singh, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA

Registration & Pricing:

• Individual Webinar (includes recording): $25 Members | $40 Non-Members
• Full 5-Webinar Series (includes recordings): $100 Members | $175 Non-Members
  • 👉 Save by purchasing the series — get 5 webinars for the price of 4!

Don’t miss this opportunity to stay current, strengthen your operations, and learn directly from experts in the field.