Indiana Biobank

The Indiana Biobank is a statewide initiative, co-developed by Indiana University School of Medicine and IU Health, to collect blood samples that can be used in research to find better treatments for dreaded diseases of today and the future.

The Indiana Biobank is working to improve healthcare through innovation and research, and to expand the capabilities of delivering on our promise through individualized patient care.

Why participate?

Every IU Health patient has the opportunity to participate in this effort by donating a blood sample. The goal of the project is to enroll up to 300,000 IU Health patients over the next five years. By providing a blood sample, participants will be adding their genetic information to the Indiana Biobank, which stores biological specimens for general medical research purposes.

Participation is voluntary, and all medical data is collected and stored with the utmost consideration given to patient privacy and safety. The Indiana Biobank follows the same HIPAA rules as other U.S. healthcare organizations.

All patients who participate will also be automatically enrolled in the All IN for Health program initiative and will receive the All IN for Health newsletter, which provides resources for good health and the opportunity to participate in additional research studies.

How are samples collected?

There are several participating IU Health locations, where research assistants will ask IU Health patients who are already in the lab for a scheduled blood draw to donate a vile of blood to the Indiana Biobank. Recruiters approach patients who are already in the lab for a scheduled blood draw. If patients choose to participate, the lab collects an extra vile of blood—no additional needle stick is required.

Ready to participate?

For more information, review these FAQs or find additional details and learn how to participate at Indiana Biobank.