For patients

We are committed to respecting the gift of donated samples. We collect and preserve biological samples including tissue, blood, saliva, urine, cerebrospinal fluid etc. for prospective research initiatives as an organized bank.

The Alfred Neuroscience Bio-databank is a well-equipped facility and its layout and design permit the separation of various procedures enabling the control of environmental contamination.

What is the purpose of a bio-databank?

A bio-databank is a stored collection of human biological samples (e.g. tissue, blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid (csf), saliva) and their products (e.g. genetic material, plasma, etc.) that is associated with personal and clinical information.

Bio-databanks are an important resource for medical researchers to improve the understanding of diseases and to help find better ways to prevent or treat them.

The samples and associated health information are stored securely, and are used for ethically approved medical and health-related research projects. This includes research on the cause, prevention, risks, diagnosis and treatment of disease, as well as genetic research.

Can I participate in The Alfred Neuroscience Bio-databank?

There is always a significant, ongoing need for biospecimens for use in neuroscience research.

The donation process is designed in a way that is convenient to both patients and their family members and where possible samples are collected during patients’ routine hospital visits or at a time that would suit them the best.

You may be eligible to donate a sample for research if you meet the following criteria:

• Are a patient of Alfred Health
• Diagnosed or at risk of developing a neurological disorder
• At least 18 years of age or over
• Have a valid Medicare card

Are you someone without a neurological disorder?

Samples are also collected from those who do not show any signs or symptoms of a neurological disorder. By taking part as a ‘control’, your samples and clinical information can be compared to people with a neurological disease to help us understand what causes the disease.

You may be eligible to donate a sample for research if you meet the following criteria:

• You show no signs or symptoms of any neurological disorders
• At least 18 years of age or over
• Have a valid Medicare card

What does participation in the bio-databank involve?

Your participation in the bio-databank is voluntary. You will be given the opportunity to discuss any questions with one of our research coordinators or one of our investigators.

If you are an Alfred Health patient your doctor can discuss this with you, and sample collection wherever possible will be done on one of your scheduled clinic appointments. If you are undergoing a medical procedure at The Alfred, your scheduled medical procedure will happen as normal. There will be no consequences or negative impact on your normal course of treatment and care.

If you are accompanying the patient as a friend or as a family member and you wish to participate in the bio-databank, sample collection will be done wherever possible while you accompany the patient to one of their routine visits to the hospital.

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to sign the consent form. You will be able to indicate on the consent form which of the samples you would like to donate to the bio-databank.

How will my privacy be protected?

Any personal information collected about you by the bio-databank will remain confidential and will be stored securely in controlled-access databases housed at Alfred Health and Monash University with the highest security measures.

All samples will be allocated a unique biobanking code and will be stored in a coded format. 

Will my samples and data only be used for Australian-based research?

It is common in health and medical research for international and interstate researchers to collaborate. If you agree to participate, your samples and associated information may be sent interstate or overseas for the purposes of collaborative, ethically approved research. This will be done in such a way that you cannot be identified. If your samples are shared with researchers outside of Alfred Health for collaborative research, the samples will be sent in a coded manner. Your personal identifiers (such as name, contact details, etc.) will not be disclosed to them. 

Will The Alfred Neuroscience Bio-databank contact me after I have given my consent to participate?

Only if you consent to be contacted, the bio-databank may contact you to collect additional samples and further personal and health-related information.

What will happen to my samples?

The samples collected from you will be stored in freezers at the Department of Neuroscience located in the Central Clinical School, Monash University for an indefinite period of time.

The Alfred Neuroscience Bio-databank is a non-profit service dedicated to providing a resource to scientists involved in medical research. Researchers from universities, hospitals and other organizations conduct research using blood, tissue, urine and CSF. They may contact The Alfred Neuroscience Bio-databank and request samples for their studies. Your samples will NOT be sold. The Alfred Neuroscience Biobank may charge researchers a fee to recover some of the costs of storing and administering its collection of samples.

Your samples will be used for future unknown health and medical research. If your samples are shared with researchers outside of Alfred Health for collaborative research, the samples will be sent in a coded manner. Your personal identifiers (such as name, contact details, etc.) will not be disclosed to them.