The Chief Executive of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Richard Mitchell, has made a very personal commitment to health research in Leicester by giving a sample of his DNA so he can be invited to take part in future studies.
After donating a small sample of blood, completing a health questionnaire and giving consent, Richard became part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester BRC’s BioResource, joining thousands of others who are already part of the search for better diagnosis and treatment of a range of diseases.
Richard can now be matched to upcoming research studies and invited to take part.
He said: “Having your blood taken isn’t everyone’s favourite thing, but knowing my sample could potentially be used to develop new treatments made it a positive experience for me today.
“Joining the BioResource is a really simple way to take part in research. Everyone who gets involved will play an important role in our efforts to understand the links between genes, the environment, health and disease, and I would encourage anyone to sign up.”
Each research study sets its own criteria for its participants. Participants might be selected based on the variations in their DNA, health and lifestyle information, age, gender and/or ethnicity.
Along with the general population, patients with certain common or rare diseases can join specific groups for that condition which allows the BioResource to capture specific details related to the patient’s health journey.
To find out how to sign up, please visit: www.chrisa489.sg-host.com/bioresource