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About GBN

Organisational structure

The Executive Board, the Steering Committee and the Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board support the successful operation of the research infrastructure.

Executive Board

Since 1 February 2024, the German Biobank Node (GBN) has been headed by a three-member Executive Board: PD Dr Sara Nußbeck is the spokesperson and National Node Director - she is the GBN representative to the European biobank network BBMRI-ERIC. Dr Gabriele Anton and PD Dr Dr Michael Kiehntopf are the other board members and deputies of Nußbeck. Nußbeck, Anton and Kiehntopf were elected by the Steering Committee in January 2024; their term of office is two years. Previously, Prof Dr Michael Hummel had headed the GBN since its foundation.

The Executive Board in March 2024 in Erfurt (f.l.t.r.): Dr. Gabriele Anton, PD Dr. Sara Nußbeck and PD Dr. Dr. Michael Kiehntopf.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee (SC) supports the Executive Board and GBN in the implementation of the work programme and ensures that the biobanks of the German Biobank Alliance (GBA) work together effectively. The committee decides on  GBA matters and shapes the strategic direction. Until 2020, the SC consisted of the heads of all partner biobanks of the GBA and the IT development centres as well as Prof. Dr Michael Hummel for GBN. The rapidly growing number of biobank partners since 2019 (and -Observer since 2021) made it necessary to reduce the size of the committee. Since 2020, a new 12-member SC has been elected every two years. 

In the 2024-2025 term of office, the steering committee is consisting of the following members Dr Heidi Altmann, Dr Gabriele Anton, Dr Ronny Baber, Dr Daniel Brucker, Prof Dr Thomas Illig, Prof Dr Roland Jahns, PD Dr Dr Michael Kiehntopf, Dr Romy Kirsten, Prof Dr Martin Lablans, Prof Dr Alexandra Nieters, PD Dr Sara Nußbeck and Dr Alexandra Stege. In addition to the 12 elected members of the SC, Prof Dr Michael Hummel attends the SC meetings as a permanent guest in an advisory role.

The Steering Committee in March 2024 in Erfurt (f.l.t.r.): Prof. Dr. Thomas Illig, PD Dr. Sara Nußbeck, Dr. Romy Kirsten, Dr. Ronny Baber, Dr. Alexandra Stege, Dr. Gabriele Anton, Dr. Daniel Brucker, Prof. Dr. Alexandra Nieters, Prof. Dr. Martin Lablans, PD Dr. Michael Kiehntopf, Prof. Dr. Roland Jahns und Dr. Heidi Altmann.

Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board

The Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board (SEAB) has an advisory role in accompanying the activities of GBN and GBA while supporting the Steering Committee in strategic issues for the implementation of the work programme. The SEAB is an independent committee comprising leading international scientists and experts who act independently of their organisational affiliation.

The Scientific Advisory Board is composed of the following representatives: Dominic Allen, Christopher Baum, Fay Betsou, Johann Eder, Jens Habermann, Stefanie Houwaart, Kristian Hveem, Morris Swertz and Sebastian Graf von Kielmansegg.

The Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board of GBN/GBA in Berlin 2022 (f. l. t. r.): Christopher Baum, Kristian Hveem, Fay Betsou, Morris Swertz and Dominic Allen. Not pictured: Jens Habermann, Stefanie Houwaart, Johann Eder, Sebastian Graf von Kielmansegg

Europe Biobank Week 2025

Europe Biobank Week
13.-16. Mai 2025
Bolgna, Italien

Die Europe Biobank Week findet in diesem Jahr vom 13. bis 16. Mai in Bologna, Italien (Bologna Congressi) statt. Die Veranstaltung wird von den europäischen Organisationen BBMRI-ERIC und ESBB gemeinsam ausgerichtet. Auf der Konferenz-Website finden Sie Informationen u. a. zu:

Vertreter*innen aus der Community des German Biobank Node (GBN) und der German Biobank Alliance (GBA) sind mit zahlreichen Beiträgen vertreten:

Dienstag, 13. Mai 2025 

  • 13:00-15:00 Uhr und 15:30-17:30 Uhr: Workshop 4: Basic Auditor Training in line with BBMRI-ERIC Audit Programme, Organisatoren/Referenten: PD Dr. Karoline I. Gaede (BioMaterialBank Nord), Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN), Stella Antoniou, Nadja Palko, Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz, Monica Forni, Andrea Wutte, Rosanna Cardani, Elisa Cantarelli
  • 15:30-17:30 Uhr, Workshop 2b: Enhancing strategic visibility of biobank resources: an interactive workshop on BBMRI-ERIC tools, Organisatoren/Referenten: Zohaib Hassan (GBN), Zdenka Dudova, Kurt Majcen, Katerina Novakova​

Mittwoch, 14. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 3D: Empowering the next generation: Education and training in biobanking, Chairs – PD Dr. Sara Nußbeck, National Node Director des GBN, mit Karine Sargsyan, ESBB
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4A: Clinical biobanks: Bridging research and patient care, SoA Speaker: Dr. Tilman Pfeffer (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) – Infectious diseases tissue biobanking and biodata management of the German Center for Infection Research – a key infrastructure for multiple research approaches
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4C: Implementing and securing quality control in biobanking, SoA Speaker: Dr. Ronny Baber (Leipzig Medical Biobank) - Enhancing biobanking quality: Validation and verification strategies with insights from the Leipzig Medical Biobank; Sven Heiling (Integrierte Biobank Jena)  – Three years of proficiency testing in liquid biobanking: A proven tool for identifying variations in process and sample quality; PD Dr. Jörg Geiger, (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Monitoring of the cold-chain of deep-frozen samples
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4D: Balancing ethics and innovation: ELSI in biobanking, PD Dr. Jörg Geiger (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg)  – Electronic Consent – the key to compliant, secure and efficient biobanking

Donnerstag, 15. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Chairs – Dr. Daniel Brucker, interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Frankfurt und ESBB, mit Zdenka Dudova, BBMRI.cz
  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Dr. Michael Neumann (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Electronic Order Entry and Biobank Registration for Tissue Samples
  • 17:00 -18:00 Uhr: Session 8A: The transformative role of biobanks in public health, Dr. Katharina Hofmann (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) - The Tumor Tissue Bank of the German National Cohort (NAKO): Pilot of a centralized epidemiologically networked biobanking
  • 17:00-18:00 Uhr, Session 8D: Connecting forces: Effective stakeholder management, Verena Huth (GBN) – Fostering Biobank Sustainability and Patient Participation through Collaborative Advocacy

Freitag, 16. Mai 2025

  • 09:00-10:30 Uhr, Session 7C: Innovative quality concepts, SoA Speaker: Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN) - Collaborative initiative to a European quality manual for biobanks
  • 12:00-13:30 Uhr, Session 10C: Samples read for multi-omics research, Chairs –  Dr. Ronny Baber, Leipzig Medical Biobank und ESBB, mit Radka Kaneva, BBMRI.bg

Auch in den Poster-Sessions werden GBN-/GBA-Vertreter*innen Arbeitsergebnisse präsentieren: Am 14. Mai, 16-17 Uhr in der ersten Poster-Session und am 16. Mai (gleiche Zeit) in der zweiten.

 

Europe Biobank Week 2025

Europe Biobank Week
13.-16. Mai 2025
Bolgna, Italien

Die Europe Biobank Week findet in diesem Jahr vom 13. bis 16. Mai in Bologna, Italien (Bologna Congressi) statt. Die Veranstaltung wird von den europäischen Organisationen BBMRI-ERIC und ESBB gemeinsam ausgerichtet. Auf der Konferenz-Website finden Sie Informationen u. a. zu:

Vertreter*innen aus der Community des German Biobank Node (GBN) und der German Biobank Alliance (GBA) sind mit zahlreichen Beiträgen vertreten:

Dienstag, 13. Mai 2025 

  • 13:00-15:00 Uhr und 15:30-17:30 Uhr: Workshop 4: Basic Auditor Training in line with BBMRI-ERIC Audit Programme, Organisatoren/Referenten: PD Dr. Karoline I. Gaede (BioMaterialBank Nord), Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN), Stella Antoniou, Nadja Palko, Agnieszka Matera-Witkiewicz, Monica Forni, Andrea Wutte, Rosanna Cardani, Elisa Cantarelli
  • 15:30-17:30 Uhr, Workshop 2b: Enhancing strategic visibility of biobank resources: an interactive workshop on BBMRI-ERIC tools, Organisatoren/Referenten: Zohaib Hassan (GBN), Zdenka Dudova, Kurt Majcen, Katerina Novakova​

Mittwoch, 14. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 3D: Empowering the next generation: Education and training in biobanking, Chairs – PD Dr. Sara Nußbeck, National Node Director des GBN, mit Karine Sargsyan, ESBB
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4A: Clinical biobanks: Bridging research and patient care, SoA Speaker: Dr. Tilman Pfeffer (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) – Infectious diseases tissue biobanking and biodata management of the German Center for Infection Research – a key infrastructure for multiple research approaches
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4C: Implementing and securing quality control in biobanking, SoA Speaker: Dr. Ronny Baber (Leipzig Medical Biobank) - Enhancing biobanking quality: Validation and verification strategies with insights from the Leipzig Medical Biobank; Sven Heiling (Integrierte Biobank Jena)  – Three years of proficiency testing in liquid biobanking: A proven tool for identifying variations in process and sample quality; PD Dr. Jörg Geiger, (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Monitoring of the cold-chain of deep-frozen samples
  • 17:30-19:00 Uhr, Session 4D: Balancing ethics and innovation: ELSI in biobanking, PD Dr. Jörg Geiger (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg)  – Electronic Consent – the key to compliant, secure and efficient biobanking

Donnerstag, 15. Mai 2025

  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Chairs – Dr. Daniel Brucker, interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Frankfurt und ESBB, mit Zdenka Dudova, BBMRI.cz
  • 14:00-15:30 Uhr, Session 7B: Data flows in healthcare integrated biobanking, Dr. Michael Neumann (interdisziplinäre Biomaterial- und Datenbank Würzburg) – Electronic Order Entry and Biobank Registration for Tissue Samples
  • 17:00 -18:00 Uhr: Session 8A: The transformative role of biobanks in public health, Dr. Katharina Hofmann (BioMaterialBank Heidelberg) - The Tumor Tissue Bank of the German National Cohort (NAKO): Pilot of a centralized epidemiologically networked biobanking
  • 17:00-18:00 Uhr, Session 8D: Connecting forces: Effective stakeholder management, Verena Huth (GBN) – Fostering Biobank Sustainability and Patient Participation through Collaborative Advocacy

Freitag, 16. Mai 2025

  • 09:00-10:30 Uhr, Session 7C: Innovative quality concepts, SoA Speaker: Nhutuyen Nguyen (GBN) - Collaborative initiative to a European quality manual for biobanks
  • 12:00-13:30 Uhr, Session 10C: Samples read for multi-omics research, Chairs –  Dr. Ronny Baber, Leipzig Medical Biobank und ESBB, mit Radka Kaneva, BBMRI.bg

Auch in den Poster-Sessions werden GBN-/GBA-Vertreter*innen Arbeitsergebnisse präsentieren: Am 14. Mai, 16-17 Uhr in der ersten Poster-Session und am 16. Mai (gleiche Zeit) in der zweiten.

 

Questions?

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Tel. +49. 30. 450 536 347

Fax +49. 30. 450 753 69 38

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