We continue to work through the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and adjust to e-learning, remote working and healthcare delivery challenges with your assistance. Your dedication, patience and flexibility in this ever-changing environment is recognized and appreciated.

Amidst this rapidly changing landscape, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research has established a new process for the collection of COVID-19 biospecimens at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. The purpose of these changes is to ensure safe practices, coordinate research efforts focused on specific patient groups, and minimize the impact on patient care delivery.

In this light, we have created a centralized biobank and governance structure for COVID-19 samples. The goal of the biobank is to collect biological samples from patients tested for the COVID-19 virus at CU Anschutz, which includes UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado.

A COVID-19 Biobank Steering and Allocation Advisory Committee, chaired by Dr. Bryan Haugen, has been established. The committee includes a broad representation of researchers on campus with appropriate expertise, and unlikely to be significant requestors of biobank resources for their own research. Also, the biosafety committee is working closely with this group to ensure appropriate lab safety processes are in place in conjunction with the proposed sample use.

We are in the early stages of sample collection. Those interested in using the biobank are asked to complete this survey now. The information from this survey will be used to ensure samples are curated and managed to best meet campus needs.

If you have specific questions regarding this process, feel free to contact Matthew Steinbeiss the biobank project manager.

Given the current environment, it is important for the success of this biobank to limit multiple requests to potential participants that currently have approved sample collection protocols for non-COVID-19 studies. Unless formally exempted, one should not be specifically collecting COVID-19 samples.

We appreciate your collaboration in this effort.

Sincerely, 

Thomas Flaig, MD
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus