Latest news from the Cambridge BioResource Team

We keep in touch with volunteers regularly via an annual newsletter.

Issue 1 - Autumn 2008

Issue 2 - Autumn 2009

September Research Update

All of our current research studies are ongoing and at any time one or more may be in contact with volunteers about participating. This month you could receive an invitation to take part in one of several studies. We have begun to invite volunteers to participate in "Cambridge Crohn’s and colitis gene study" led by Dr Miles Parkes and volunteers have recently started to visit Addenbrooke's Hospital to take part in Professor David Dunger's study, "Developmental origins of risk of type 2 diabetes: Tolerance of fasting and IGF-I levels". Our Research Nurses may also be in touch with you about providing a sample for the "Genes and Mechanisms in Type 1 Diabetes" study. This study is currently collaborating with a team of researchers based at King's College in London. A few volunteers are also being invited to provide a second blood sample to help complete Professor Ken Smith's "GANDALF study: Genetic variation and altered leucocyte function in health and disease". If you would like to get in touch with any member of our team, please see our Contact Details page.


£450 raised for charity!

We would like to give a big thanks to Peters Elsworthy & Moore Chartered Accountants in Cambridge. 45 members of staff from the company joined the CBR in August this year and very kindly offered to donate the vouchers they received upon joining to the charity EACH (East Anglia's Children's Hospices). EACH is a local charity that offers support to children with life-threatening conditions, and their families.


CBR on the Radio

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire invited the Cambridge BioResource Coordinator Sarah Nutland to take part in an interview on the 19th July along with one of our volunteers. Sarah explained why the Cambridge BioResource is such an important resource and described some of the current studies. It was a great opportunity to publicise the CBR and we enjoyed hearing one of our volunteers speaking so enthusiastically about our research.


Volunteer Recruitment

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In order for the Cambridge BioResource to continue to operate as a vital resource for local researchers we must regularly find new volunteers to join the panel. The CBR Team therefore regularly present recruitment stands and visit local companies and organisations to publicise our research and attract new volunteers. In July we presented information displays at Cambridge Central Library and the Milton Summer Fayre. During the coming weeks you may see us with our stand at various venues around Cambridge. If you know of a business or organisation that would be willing to publicise our research with their staff or members, we would really like to hear from you.

The larger the volunteer panel becomes, the more useful a resource it will be for researchers so it is vital that we continue to expand. Last summer nearly 4,000 blood donors joined the Cambridge BioResource while attending blood donation sessions. If, as a blood donor, you received a letter but were unable to attend your donor session or join the BioResource then please get in touch as it is not too late to join.

Many organisations have supported our research and allowed us to use their facilities over the last year and we would like to take the opportunity to thank some of these: Peters Elsworthy & Moore, Cambridge Central Library, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Colonix Medical Limited, Wherry Housing Association, Chesterton Community Association, Hills Road Sixth Form College, the Biology Society, the University of Cambridge Department of Experimental Psychology, the University of Cambridge Computing Services, the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Anglia Ruskin University, St John’s College, Clare College, Homerton College, Jesus College, Wolfson College and the Open University.


Volunteer Representatives wanted!

We would like to hear from any members of the panel who may be interested in becoming Volunteer Representatives. The role does not involve a large time commitment but periodically you will be invited to represent the volunteer panel in discussions about the use of the CBR panel and future strategies for its development. It is really important for a Volunteer Representative to be part of these discussions in order to provide a link between the researchers and volunteers. If you think you would be interested, please get in touch.


Staffing News

We are happy to welcome Jessica Casey and Sindiso Masuka to the team. Jessica has worked with us several times in the past and will be helping us as a Clinical Assistant over summer. Sindiso is a Research Nurse and is joining us on secondment for the next few months.


Cambridge BioResource Open Information Evening

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We would like to thank all of our volunteers who joined us for the first Cambridge BioResource Open Information Evening held on Thursday 10th December 2009. It featured short talks from some of the researchers who have collaborated with the Cambridge BioResource and also gave volunteers the opportunity to meet the team.

At the start of the evening guests were invited to meet the team over light refreshments and to view poster displays summarising areas of research connected with the BioResource. Sarah Nutland, the Cambridge BioResource Coordinator, then gave a brief introduction to the talks and briefly outlined the history of the BioResource.

The first talk of the evening was delivered by Professor John Todd who described the changing trends in Type 1 Diabetes over the past few decades. He went on to discuss some of the exciting developments his team have made into understanding the genes and mechanisms behind the disease, as a result of the participation of Cambridge BioResource volunteers.

Dr Willem Ouwehand then discussed his research into the genes and mechanisms of cardiovascular disease. He explained how there are many causes for cardiovascular disease and outlined the focus of his research and the role of platelets.

The final talk of the evening was delivered by Dr David Savage, who has invited many volunteers from the BioResource to participate into his study into the interaction of genes in weight gain and metabolism.

After the talks had finished, guests were invited to join the team for further refreshments and to take the opportunity to discuss any issues of interest to them in more detail.

The team thoroughly enjoyed the evening and felt it was a huge success. More importantly, the feedback we received from guests was overwhelmingly positive so we are hoping to hold similar events in the future.


Featuring . . . the Cambridge BioResource!

The Cambridge BioResource has been featured in several publications. Here is a summary of where you may have seen the BioResource: