Biobanks: The Science of Samples – Public Lecture Series

The research that drives discoveries in health and disease is fueled by biological samples. These critical specimens allow scientists to investigate how our bodies work when they’re healthy, how they change when we’re sick, and how we can better prevent, predict, diagnose and treat diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s and many others.

That’s why it’s incredibly important to treat samples with the utmost care and consistency, a task that requires specialized skills and state-of-the-art facilities called biobanks.

Join VAI’s Dr. Scott Jewell for an inside look into the world of biobanking and a snapshot of the ways the Institute’s own biobank is fueling breakthroughs right here in Grand Rapids.

Dr. Scott Jewell is a nationally recognized expert in biobanking, which encompasses the management and storage of the crucial biological samples that facilitate research into health and disease. As director of VAI’s Pathology and Biorepository Core, Dr. Jewell oversees the Institute’s contributions to many large-scale, collaborative projects designed to shed new light onto cancer, Parkinson’s, rare disorders, and many other diseases.