UPDATE: WORKSHOP POSTPONED. NEW DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

Day 1: November 4, 2025 (9 AM - 12 PM EST)
Day 2: November 5, 2025 (8:30PM - 11:30PM EST)

The Biobanking 101 Workshop is delivered in the same format on both days. Please select one session only based on the time zone that works best for you. Further details on how to choose your session are provided in the registration steps.

Part 1 - ISBER Highlight: ISBER Regional Ambassador (RA) Program

Have you wondered how to get more involved with ISBER, to share the biobanking strengths and news from your region? ISBER has a volunteer program for you! The primary role of an ISBER Regional Ambassador (RA) is to serve as a regional contact working in conjunction with the relevant Directors-At-Large (DAL) to better serve a particular area of the region. The RA provides localized advice and feedback for biobanking information dissemination, local networking and educational opportunities and sharing ISBER tools within their regions.

Benefits:

• Virtual Introductions made to local Ambassadors representing your regions
• Learning about RA activities
• How to apply to become an RA in the future

Presented by the following Directors-at-Large and Regional Ambassadors:

• Day 1: William Schleif, ISBER Director-at-Large - Americas, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Pediatric Biorepository, Florida, USA; Engela Conradie, Director-at-Large - Europe, Middle East, Africa, Centre for Human Metabolics, Potchefstroom, South Africa; Regional Ambassador Anna Michalska-Falkowska, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland; Regional Ambassador Azra Hasan, National Disease Research Interchange, USA
• Day 2: Jajah Fachiroh, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing UGM, Indonesia, Io Hong Cheong, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China and Henry Hong, Jiangsu SERLNG Life Science, China

 

Part 2 - Planning and Operational Setup: Planning and Managing Storage Environments

This Biobanking 101 training event is focused on operationalizing sections of the ISBER Best Practices for Repositories and will focus on biobank Storage and Equipment. The workshop will be taught from the perspective of high resource and low resource settings.

• Equipment for storage
• Equipment management 
• Storage environments 
  

Presented by:

• Caroline Larson, Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber, USA
• Preston Lehman, Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber, USA
• Stella Somiari, Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber, USA

Moderated by the biobanking 101/201 Task Force - Debra Garcia, Dee McGarvey, and Marianne Henderson

 

Learning Objectives

1) How to plan for storage (cryo and RT) and storage environments at your biobank, including considerations for number of units, space requirements.

2) How to monitor your storage equipment and storage space for optimum performance.

3) Preparing for cyclical replacement of equipment (business planning)

4) Considerations for the introduction of new technologies, including hardware and software (LIMS)

5) Considerations for backup plans and security systems (risk management)

Special Focus on LMIC Considerations: Storage planning and consideration (Cryo and RT) and back up plans – storage, electricity, security etc.

ACCESS THE ON-DEMAND RECORDING HERE

The workshop was held on February 25-26, 2025. Thank you to all who attended! 

Part 1 - ISBER Tool highlight: ISBER Mentorship Program  

ISBER’s Mentoring program is an educational service to support members’ professional development of their biobanks. It consists of a matching service to facilitate mentoring relationships between mentees’ questions and experienced mentors in the field of biobanking. Mentees ask their specific or general questions through the service and a mentor is matched to help answer those questions.

Presented by:

• Judith Giri, PhD, Independent Consultant, USA
• Marianne Henderson, MS, National Cancer Institute, USA
• Shonali Paul, CloudLIMS.com, India

 

Part 2 - Accreditation, Certification and Standardization: Demystifying the Black Box of Certification and Accreditation of Biobanks

Biobanks are relied upon to collect, preserve, and distribute high quality, fit for purpose specimens and data for many areas of Biomedical Research, Conservation and Development. Key elements in preserving specimens include recognized standards for the collection, processing, storage and distribution of materials and data. The ISBER Best Practices 5th edition provides guidance on the recommended/most effective practices for the development, management and sustainability of a biobank and its staff. ISO principles and certification have been established to recognize international standards for systems and processes. Local and national efforts also provide opportunities for certification and accreditation. But with all this information available, which guidance or compliance standards are appropriate for your repository operations, and how might certification and/or accreditation be achieved? This session opens the black box of biobank standardization and aims to provide information and options on the variety of recommendations and standards that can be achieved and how they may fit with your biobank’s needs. Presenters will lead the audience through their experiences and lessons learned.

Presented by:

• Shannon McCall, MD, Duke University, USA
• Sheila O’Donoghue, RN, BPHE, MA, BC Cancer, Canada 
• Nilsa Ramirez, MD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, USA 
• Nicholas Slawson, MD, A2LA, USA
• Charles Wang, MD, PhD, National Engineering Center, China

Moderated by the biobanking 101/201 Workshop Task Force - Debra Garcia, Dee McGarvey, and Marianne Henderson

 

Learning Objectives

1) The difference between Standards and Best Practices

2) Standards and the concept of conformity assessment

3) How and why a biobank might choose to pursue accreditation

4) Current biobanking standards and their differences

5) Fit for purpose of the Best Practices, Certifications and Accreditations to your biobank

 

Presenters Biographies

Shannon McCall, MD is an anatomic pathologist at Duke University in North Carolina, USA.  She has directed the Duke University BioRepository & Precision Pathology Center since 2012. She served as chair of the College of American Pathologists’ Biorepository Accreditation Program Committee for 6 years and is currently an advisor to the ISBER Standards committee. 

Sheila O’Donoghue, RN, BPHE, MA is the Co-Leader of the Biobanking and Biospecimen Research Services (BBRS) at BC Cancer and is also responsible for the national Canadian Tissue Repository Network (CTRNet) biobank certification and education programs. She has been an auditor for the certification program since its inception in 2011. She is a past Chair of the ISBER Education and Training Committee and a former member of the BC Cancer Research Ethics Board. 

Nilsa Ramirez, MD is a pathologist with expertise in biobanking in the context of adult and pediatric cancer clinical trials, director of the Biopathology Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and professor of Clinical Pathology at the Ohio State University. She oversees numerous biobanking efforts (including those of the Children’s Oncology Group and SWOG), is convenor of WG2 Biobank and Bioresources/USTAG to ISO/TC276, member of the College of American Pathologists Biorepository Accreditation Program (CAP BAP) Committee, and CAP BAP National Commissioner.

Nicholas Slawson, MD is a Program Manager at A2LA working primarily with Reference Material Producers and Proficiency Testing Providers. He supports the day-to-day operations of accreditation by assisting clients in obtaining and maintaining accreditation. Nick has also worked with Calibration labs, Environmental Labs, Food Testing Labs, Clinical labs and serves as the back-up for the Biobanking program since starting at A2LA in June 2015. Nick is certified as a lead assessor and Assessor Evaluator for A2LA. He is trained in ISO standards 17025, 17034, 17043, 17065, 17020, 20387, and 15189. He also serves on the board of directors for TNI as a member of the TNI Quality System Committee and is a member of several REMCO working groups for Reference Materials standards. Nick also trains on the new 17025:2017, Risk Management and Corrective Actions for A2LA WPT. He has also helped create various documents for the new 17025:2017 standard including the currently published FAQs. Nick received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Hood College located in Frederick, MD in May of 2015.

Charles Wang, MD, PhD is a professor with both an MD and a PhD. As the Deputy Director of the National Engineering Center for Biochip in Shanghai, Charles Wang oversees biobanking operations, the application of information technology, and the data mining and productization efforts aimed at enhancing biobanking’s value for translational medicine. An active biobanking professional in China for over a decade, Charles Wang has played a key role in the development and implementation of the ISO 20387 certification system in the country.

ACCESS THE ON-DEMAND RECORDING HERE

Price: $40 USD Members / $120 USD Non-Members.

The workshop was held on September 11-12, 2024. Thank you to all who attended! Please look out for the 201 Biobanking workshop details coming soon.

Part 1 - ISBER Tool highlight: Essentials of Biobanking course  

The Essentials of Biobanking Course is a tool available on the ISBER website. It was developed by the Canadian Tissue Repository Network (CTRNet) and modified with country-specific content with input from international biobanking experts. The Essentials of Biobanking Course is based on ISBER Best Practices and is regularly updated and the purpose is to give you a general overview of the key issues in establishing, maintaining, and accessing a biobank.
The course includes 9 online modules designed to provide 'how-to' knowledge for researchers and biobankers and 'what is' knowledge for stakeholders (e.g. public, ethics board members). The CTRNet team is currently updating the Essentials course to align it to the ISBER Best Practices 5th Edition. This presentation will share details about the 9 online modules, how they can be accessed and when the update will be available for ISBER members and non-members.

Presented by:

• Jodi LeBlanc, BC Cancer, Canada
• Kate Lawrence, BC Cancer, Canada

 

Part 2 - INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN BIOBANKING: The Nuts and Bolts of Implementing the ISBER Best Practices, 5th Edition IM section

Data associated with specimens is of utmost importance for effective scientific research and reproducibility. Extensive and accurate data associated with specimens is a fundamental asset to each repository. In addition, today's repositories are growing more dependent on data, and in tandem, on supporting data systems. These are key to a variety of functions including general operations, specimen management, communications, stakeholder relations, image or specimen analysis, shipping and logistics, automation, among many others.

Not only are specimen data collected or acquired, but other data are generated by a repository. Data not associated with specimens are often an untapped resource of use to the repository to optimize operations, as well as to other stakeholders, and can be termed repository operation data. Such data are extremely wide ranging and can include agreements with stakeholders, key performance metrics, and specimen location data, among many others.

Data that are specifically generated and used in managing operations can have various levels of sensitivity or confidentiality concerns. Therefore, it is critical to understand what data are collected, acquired, and/or generated during the different phases of the repository, both intended and unintended, and how to sufficiently protect and leverage these resources.

This workshop will support the understanding of the components of information management in biobanks and provide a forum to discuss examples of implementations, potential challenges, and interaction amongst participants about their data management strategies.

Presented by:

• Gregory Grossman, CSO, Advancing Sight Network, USA
• Chris Battison, REDCap Administrator / Research Data Analyst, Research Operations, The Center for Health Research Information Systems, Women’s College Hospital, Canada
• Marianne Henderson, Sr. Advisor for Division Resources and Biobanking, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA
• and additional members of the IM section for the BP 5th edition

Moderated by the biobanking 101/201 Task Force - Debra Garcia, Dee McGarvey, and Marianne Henderson

 

Learning Objectives

1) The integral role that information management plays in a biobank

2) How and why information management within and outside of the biobank should be interoperable

3) The major changes to Information Management section of the Best Practices 5th Edition

4) Example pathways to implementation of the BP recommendations for information management

ACCESS THE ON-DEMAND RECORDING HERE

Price: $45 USD Members / $120 USD Non-Members.

The workshop was held on April 19-21, 2023. Thank you to all who attended!

Part 1 - Quality in Biobanking

Quality is essential in biobanking. The integrity and reliability of the samples stored is crucial for ensuring that research results are accurate and reproducible. This year's 4-hour workshop will focus on quality as a key concept with components on human and enviro-bio biobanking. Due to the demand for the subject matter, the same material will be presented on April 19th and 20th/21st. This will allow our global audience the opportunity to participate in the workshop at a time that is most convenient for them. The presenters will touch on technologies and practices from collection/processing to distribution of samples and data, while including quality across the continuum. Experts from the Van Andel Institute, Michigan, USA and China Genebank (CNGB), Shenzhen, China will introduce the basic concepts of quality across the biobanking continuum in human, animal and enviro-bio specimens and their data. The participants will have the opportunity to join in interactive activities to support their learning.

Presented by:

• Scott Jewell, Van Andel Research Institute, USA
• Galen Hostetter, Van Andel Research Institute, USA
• Dan Rohrer, Van Andel Research Institute, USA
• Melissa DeHollander, Van Andel Research Institute, USA
• Jingjing Wu, China Genebank (CNGB), China

 

Part 2 - THE BIOBANK ASSESSMENT TOOL (BAT) –YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE ALONG THE ROAD FOR HIGHER QUALITY

Is your biobank stuck in the work for quality and not know where to start? The ISBER Biobank Assessment Tool can support and direct your staff to the areas within your biobank that need extra attention to achieve adherence to the ISBER Best Practices (BPs). This presentation will answer questions of the scope of the tool, its target audience, and how it may be used routinely in any biobank organization to achieve a higher quality workflow and operations, per the ISBER BPs.

Presented by: Karolin Bergenstrahle, Uppsala Biobank, Sweden

ACCESS THE ON-DEMAND RECORDING HERE

Price: $45 USD Members / $120 USD Non-Members.

The workshop was held on May 10-11, 2022.

Part 1 - Session 1: The Biobank Assessment Tool (BAT) –Your Personal Guide Along the Road for Higher Quality

Is your biobank stuck in the work for quality and does not know where to start? The ISBER Biobank Assessment Tool can support and direct your staff to the areas within your biobank that need extra attention to achieve adherence to the ISBER Best Practices (BPs). This presentation will answer questions of the scope of the tool, its target audience, and how it may be used routinely in any biobank organization to achieve a higher quality workflow and operations, per the ISBER BPs.

Presented by: Karolin Bergenstrahle, Uppsala Biobank, Sweden

Part 1 - Session 2: Let's Talk Cost Recovery

Biobanks offer a rich resource of materials and services to support research but they often lack stable long-term funding. In this workshop we will discuss our biobank’s approach to cost recovery, aligned with that of Canadian tumour biobanks, as well as other models to determine fees for users. Let’s talk about cost detailing of biobanking activities and the use of a cost calculator. Our discussion will focus on developing cost per sample user fees to contribute to the recovery of biobanking costs for projects that use existing biobank inventory, projects that support prospective studies and projects offering processing services. Workshop attendees will gain an understanding of cost recovery in biobanking and can put this knowledge into practice in developing or reviewing aspects of cost recovery in their own biobanks.

Presented by:

• Sindy Babinszky, BC Cancer Agency, Canada
• Jodi LeBlanc, BC Cancer Agency, Canada
• Tamsin Tarling, BC Cancer Agency, Canada
• Kate Lawrence, BC Cancer Agency, Canada

 

Part 2 - Preservation and Management of Samples From Collection to Utilization

Biobanks are charged with maintaining sample integrity of biospecimen collections until needed for downstream applications. An important and widely used method of preservation is storage at low temperatures. This method of preservation, termed cryopreservation, has been utilized to keep living cells and tissues dormant, but potentially alive, long-term prior to use in biomedical applications. This workshop will address the critical quality measures of proper sample preservation, the decision to adopt specific temperature conditions for storage, and shipping issues to consider in order to ensure the delivery of quality samples to end users. Additionally, it will discuss (1) physical and biological mechanisms that determine the life-or-death of living cells and tissues during the cryopreservation process; and (2) development of optimal and novel methods, technology, and instruments to prevent “cryoinjury” to ensure the survival of living cells and tissues in cryopreservation.

Presented by:

• Stella Somiari, Windber Research Institute, USA
• Dayong Gao, University of Washington, USA

ACCESS THE ON-DEMAND RECORDING HERE

Price: $45 USD Members / $120 USD Non-Members.

The workshop was held on April 28-29, 2021.

Part 1 - Session 1: Qualification in Biorepository Science

Presented by: Brent Schacter, CancerCare Manitoba, Canada

 

Part 1 - Session 2: Success is the Result of Preparation: Emergency Planning for Biobanking

Emergencies can occur everywhere and Biobanks are just as likely as every other industry to suffer the consequences of poor planning. This session will help you build a culture of preparedness to ensure that your assets (specimens, data, infrastructure and staff) can be protected from disasters, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Interactive discussions and activities will address risk assessment, crisis management, critical response procedures, planning for natural disasters, as well as data protection and recovery. This workshop will offer the opportunity to discuss the unique emergencies that may affect your operations and offer solutions to help you create your own emergency plans.

Presented by:

• Helen Morrin, University of Otago Christchurch, New Zealand
• Rebecca Pugh, National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA

 

Learning Objectives

Understand the importance and role of emergency and disaster planning in biobank management and sustainability

Understand the components and tools for creating one's own emergency and disaster response plans

Understand the stages of preparedness, response and recovery throughout an emergency

 

Part 2 - Basic Business Planning for Biobanking

Successful Biobanking operations begin with accurate and responsible planning. This session will provide guidance on how fulfill your banks mission by formulating a business plan that will satisfy stakeholders through the use of SMART performance metrics and audit points. Discussions will include infrastructure assessments, Funding and cost management as well as SWOT analysis.

Presented by:

• Marianne Henderson, National Cancer Institute, USA
• Daniel Simeon-Dubach, medservice, Switzerland
• Kirstin Goldring, AstraZeneca, UK

 

Learning Objectives

The importance and role of business planning in biobank management and sustainability

The basic components of a business plan

How Vision and Mission statements keep biobanks focused

How to identify and manage internal and external factors affecting biobank operations and performance

Metrics used in tracking biobank activity, progress and success