Biobanks—large, well-characterized data sets of human population samples—enable biomedical research into the complex diseases that are currently creating a global health crisis, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease. This session brings together biobanking and bioethics experts from Western Australia, the UK, Estonia, Canada and the United States and introduces the international R&D, business and health-care industries to opportunities in collaborative data harmonization, resource sharing and pharmaceutical investment.



Objectives:

Outline the potential benefits of international biobanks in the development of biotechnology-based industry, health-care and disease-prevention strategies, pharmaco-epidemiology and -genomics, bioethical frameworks and community engagement in biomedical research.

Encourage international data harmonization and collaboration on information dissemination and the sharing of expertise and resources in international biobanking and bioethics.

Outline significant pharmaceutical and other biotechnology/biodiagnostic engagement and investment opportunities in large national biobanks.