BioSEND
In 2015, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) released a funding announcement to support an independent Human Biospecimen and Data Repository for biomarkers research. The cooperative agreement resulting from this funding announcement was awarded to Indiana University and the principal investigator for the repository is Dr. Tatiana Foroud. The new NINDS Human Biospecimen and Data Repository is called BioSEND. Biospecimens previously housed with the Coriell Institute for Medical Research have been transferred to BioSEND, and all FITBIR-related biospecimens can be queried through the FITBIR portal site under the FITBIR Biorepository Biosample Catalog form. The purpose of the BioSEND repository is to receive, process, store, and distribute biospecimens resources that can be shared by the neuroscience research community, and to encourage the research efforts of established scientists, junior investigators, and scientists with novel approaches. BioSEND will work closely with FITBIR to assure standardization of biological sample collection, protection of subject privacy and rights, and transparency regarding availability of samples for Traumatic Brain Injury disease biomarker discovery research.