These pages are to inform brain bank employees and to serve as a source of documentation to help the banks work in a harmonised way. We’re continually working to improve these documents to make them more helpful, and to facilitate tissue exchange between an increasingly wide research base.
Any queries or comments should be directed either through the MRC, via Dr Simon Fisher, or through the Network’s director, Professor Colin Smith. Please contact the MRC or the director of the Network if you hear of any exciting brain banking activities or publications on the horizon that have used Network tissue samples. The UKRI press team can help publicise the great work coming from the banks so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have had a paper accepted for publication.
The Network holds annual meetings/training sessions for UK brain bank administrators and coordinators.
Approved documentation for brain banks in the UK Brain Bank Network and sample forms These documents have been approved by the Brain Bank Network Management Group to serve as a helpful source of information and instruction.
Performance criteria for brain banks in the UK Brain Bank Network We collect a variety of information from the Network’s banks to ensure standards of collection are being met and that researchers have access to the best quality tissue and data.
The following information is collected annually from all the banks as measures of success:
Project Area | Objective | Deliverable Time Period |
---|---|---|
Tissue Procurement – Number of donations frozen | 90% of brains have frozen tissue | Per year |
Clinical/Neuropath Reporting – Report finalised | Average 16 weeks | After donation |
Tissue Requests – Time to notification of researcher by management board | 3 weeks | After receiving fully completed application |
Tissue Requests – Supply of tissue to researchers | Project specific | Agreed time frame between TB and researcher |
Tissue Requests – Obtain written report of research carried out on tissue by the researcher | Project specific | 6 months after tissue supply (12 months for large projects) |
Public visibility – Talks to patient interest groups/Health Care Professionals | Project specific | Per year |
Public visibility – Attendance at scientific meetings to advertise tissue bank | Project specific | Per year |