Who we are

NICB Partner Institutions:

Host Institutions: Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD) 

Universities: University College Dublin (UCD), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), National University Ireland (NUIG) Galway, University College Cork (UCC), University of Limerick 

Hospitals: Beaumont Hospital, Children's Health Ireland (CHI), Coombe Women’s University Hospital, Cork University Hospital, Galway University Hospital, Limerick University Hospital, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, National Maternity Hospital Holles Street, St James' Hospital, St Vincent's University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, Sligo University Hospital, Wexford Hospital

Principal Investigators:

Prof Colm Bergin (St James’ Hospital/ TCD) & Prof Patrick Mallon (St Vincent’s University Hospital/UCD).

Project Managers:

Dr Suzanne Bracken (TCD) and Dr Fiorina Rigonat (UCD).

Governance

Governance Board:

The National Irish Covid-19 Biobank (NICB) Governance Board provides independent oversight and governance of the NICB and to ensure that the NICB operates in an ethical and safe manner. The Governance Board has a direct reporting relationship to the Host Institutions (Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin) and onward to the funding agency the Health Research Board.

Board Members:

  • Brian MacCraith (Independent Chair) 

  • Kate Robson-Brown (Vice-President Research, Impact and Innovation, University College Dublin). 

  • Sinéad Ryan (Dean of Research, Trinity College Dublin) 

  • Eoin Gaffney (Independent Director) 

  • Rita Lawlor (Independent Director) 

  • William Powderly (Independent Director) 

  • Eibhlín Mulroe (PPI Representative; CEO of Cancer Trials Ireland) 

  • Muiris O’Connor (Assistant Secretary, Department of Health)

Biobank Executive Committee:

The Biobank Executive Committee are responsible for agreeing the strategic direction for the NICB. The Biobank Executive Committee reports into the Governance Board and provides direction and management for the Operations Team.

Biobank Executive Committee Members:

  • Dana Alalwan (University College Dublin)

  • Colm Bergin (St James’ Hospital/ Trinity College Dublin)

  • Suzanne Bracken (Trinity College Dublin)

  • Donal Brennan (National Maternity Hospital/ University College Dublin)

  • Louise Burke (University College Cork)

  • Gianpiero Cavalleri (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)

  • Niall Conlon (St James’ Hospital/ Trinity College Dublin)

  • Aoife Cotter (Mater Misericordiae University Hospital/ University College Dublin)

  • Eoghan de Barra (Beaumont Hospital/ Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)

  • Eoin Feeney (St Vincent’s University Hospital/ University College Dublin)

  • Richard Flavin (St James’s' Hospital/Trinity College Dublin)

  • Evelyn Fox (Trinity College Dublin, NICB DPO)

  • Mary Horgan (Mater Misericordiae University Hospital/University College Dublin)

  • Jack Lambert (Mater Misericordiae University Hospital/University College Dublin)

  • Mark Little (Tallaght University Hospital/Trinity College Dublin)

  • Aoife Lowery (University of Galway)

  • Patrick Mallon (St Vincent’s University Hospital/ University College Dublin)

  • Paul McNally (Children’s Health Ireland)

  • Bairbre McNicholas (University of Galway/ University Hospital Galway)

  • Derick Mitchell (IPPOSI)

  • Cliona Ni Cheallaigh (St James’ Hospital/ Trinity College Dublin)

  • Alistair Nichol (St Vincent’s University Hospital/ University College Dublin)

  • Cliona O’Farrelly (Trinity College Dublin)

  • Fiorina Rigonat (University College Dublin)

  • Elizabeth Ryan (University of Limerick)

  • Corinna Sadlier (Cork University Hospital/University College Cork)

  • Patrick Stapleton (University Hospital Limerick)

  • 2nd PPI Representative (TBC)

Operations Team:

The Operations Team is a sub-group of the Biobank Executive Committee and is responsible for operational decision-making.

International Scientific Advisory Committee:

International experts, responsible for providing advice to the Biobank Executive Committee.

International Scientific Advisory Committee Members:

  • Alan Landay, University of Texas Medical Branch (Chair)

  • Ewan Birney, EMBL-EBI

  • Inaki Comas, Biomedicine Institute of Valencia

  • Ciaran Flanagan, Biobank Ireland Trust

  • Jacqueline James, Northern Ireland Biobank.

  • Mihaela Mayrhofer, BBMRI-ERIC

  • Siobhan Ni Bhriain, Health Service Executive

  • Aarno Palotie, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Finland

  • Claudia dos Santos, University of Toronto

  • Breda Smyth, Health Service Executive

  • Ana Teres, Health Service Executive

  • Liam Woods, Health Service Executive

  • Martin Yuille, Integrated Genomic Medical Research Centre, University of Manchester

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Advisory Board

Responsible for providing PPI input into relevant NICB policies and procedures, scientific priorities and research questions as well as advise on the wider communications, education & engagement activities envisaged.

PPI Advisory Board Committee Members:

We are currently recruiting members for this board

Access Committee:

The Access Committee’s core responsibility is to review, in a timely manner, all access requests that have been verified by the Operations Team and report the outcome

How we are funded:

The NICB is a not-for-profit biobank, set up with funding from the Health Research Board, at the request of the Department of Health. Grant code: Ncov19BB-2021-1