ISBER 2024 Annual Meeting: Dreaming Beyond Barriers—The Future of Biobanking

ISBER would like to present ISBER Program Co-Chairs, Cassandra Griffin, Gregory Grossman and Amanda Moors' article on ISBER 2024 Annual Meeting: Dreaming Beyond Barriers—The Future of Biobanking

The International Society of Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) Annual Meeting (https://www.isber.org/page/2024Annual) is recognized as the premier event in the field of biobanking. Delegates from around the world meet to network, learn, share their expertise, experience, and progress—contributing to the advancement of biospecimen science. This year, the global biobanking community will convene in Melbourne, Australia, April 8–12. Themed “Dreaming Beyond Barriers: The Future of Biobanking,” this meeting will reflect upon and celebrate the impact of the biobanking community, its innovation and resilience in overcoming barriers, and shared dreams for the future. This annual meeting will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of ISBER, honoring its pioneers and impact, with a look toward the pivotal role that ISBER will play in building the future.

Biobanking is a multidisciplinary field and covers many domains from biomedical and pharmaceutical innovation to agricultural enrichment and environmental conservation. The field of biobanking is evolving as rapid changes in technologies, regulations, and stakeholder needs affect our discipline. Staying abreast of the latest advances and changes is critical to assure a repository's sustainability, relevance, impact, and utilization. As a leader in the field, ISBER is committed to keeping its members not only informed in this changing landscape but also empowering them to be drivers and innovators of positive change. ISBER's commitment here can be seen in the newly published fifth edition of the ISBER Best Practices (https://www.isber.org/page/BPR), which members will have the opportunity to learn more about at the meeting. Coming together as a community at this meeting allows us to collaboratively build and shape the future.

On a global scale, we are now, more than ever, facing new challenges arising from the impact of communicable disease, aging populations, environmental instability, political unrest, resource scarcity, and questions around the social and ethical applications of new technologies. As leaders and stakeholders, we have a critical role to play in devising strategies to address these challenges and with new challenges come the need for insight and innovation—the transformation of dreams to reality. In Indigenous Australian culture, the Dreaming or Dreamtime embraces the integration of the past, present, and future. It provides a holistic way of life, a moral code, and rules for interacting with each other and the natural environment. With this ethos of collaboration and unity, our community can Dream Beyond the Barriers imposed by the past, explore the challenges of the present, and harness opportunity for a harmonized global approach to the future of biobanking and biospecimen science.

Our host city, Melbourne, is a vibrant metropolis of art, culture, and innovation—a “foodie” and coffee lover's paradise. It presents thriving scientific, medical, and conservation research sectors, driven in partnership with robust and integrated industry support. A truly global city with a multicultural population and proud indigenous history, its spirit of partnership and collaboration makes it a prime location to reunite with old friends and foster new relationships. We will begin the conference with a Welcome to Country ceremony by members of the indigenous community, honoring the land and its connection to people and culture.

We have developed a rich program with symposia covering topics such as biobanking for personalized medicine, environmentally conscious biobanking, social and human factors, Rising Stars in Biobanking, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. The meeting will feature international speakers, posters, interactive workshops, and round table discussions. Supported by a strong industry and trade presence who maintains a commitment of collaboration with ISBER, it's sure to be a melting pot of ideas, opportunities, and solutions—a biobanker's dream! The in-person meeting will be held from April 8–12, and with social events including speed-networking, fun runs, site visits, and a 25th anniversary soiree celebration, this event is one not to be missed! For those unable to attend the in-person meeting, the virtual meeting will run from May 28–29, featuring highlights from the Melbourne event and further opportunities for engagement.

On behalf of the ISBER 2024 Chairs, Cassandra Griffin (Australia), Dr. Gregory Grossman (USA), and Amanda Moors (USA), along with the Program Taskforce and Local Engagement Taskforce, we welcome you to join us at the ISBER Annual Meeting 2024 in Melbourne, Australia!

Please click the following link to view the article:
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/bio.2024.29131.cjg#utm_source=ETOC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bio