The BWH/Harvard Cohorts Biorepository Core manages over 3.2 million biological specimens collected from over 200,000 participants in several large cohort studies. The Core prepares and ships over 60,000 biospecimens annually to collaborating laboratories for analyses evaluating the relationship between biomarkers and chronic disease risk.

These cohort studies include:

Nurses’ Health Study (NHS)
Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII)
Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS)
Physician’s Health Study (PHS)
Growing Up Today Studies (GUTS/GUTSII)
Biospecimens collected from each of these cohorts are being actively utilized in epidemiologic research studies of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, among others. The biospecimens from these cohorts are richly enhanced by up to 30 years of health-related behaviors and medical histories, making them a unique and invaluable research resource.

Sample types stored in the biorepository include plasma, white blood cells, red blood cells, whole blood, urine, DNA, toenails, hair, stool, and saliva.

These samples are an extremely valuable, but finite, resource; thus much effort is put forth to ensure high quality, efficient specimen handling. The goal of the Biorepository is to maximize use of samples in a cost-effective, ethical, state of the art manner.