biobank

I've had several hours in Stockport today at biobank.  Some years ago Tony and I signed up with this long term medical research project which collects data and samples from 500,000 people aged 40-69, with a view to making the information available to researchers to improve the health of folks in future.  

Recently they have extended their data collection to scanning and that is what I was up to today, having an MRI of the brain and heart/body; a neck artery scan (to study the build up of fatty substances like cholesterol in the major blood vessels) and a DXA scan to measure the bone density throughout the body.  Alongside these I had all the regular measurements of BMI, blood pressure, pulse rate, grip strength, heel bone density and lung function plus an ECG of the heart.  They also do a lengthy lifestyle questionnaire which covers health, diet, memory, work and family history.  Fascinating stuff!  

I obviously couldn't blip in the centre but I did spot this picture on the wall which is of the storage facility, all very high tech.  There are lots of videos here showing some of the research done using the resources to date.