Parelsnoer Institute

The Parelsnoer Institute (PSI), established in 2007 by the Dutch Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU), offers researchers within the eight University Medical Centres and external researchers an infrastructure and standard procedures for the establishment, expansion and optimisation of clinical biobanks for scientific research. By collecting and storing clinical data, images and human biomaterial together in a uniform manner from carefully documented patients suffering the same illness, large cohorts are established that enable broader scientific research. The Parelsnoer Institute ensures that scientific research is connected with high quality health care in a natural manner, which enables easy and reliable patient research and supports the development of scientific knowledge and innovative methods of treatment to improve health care or even prevent the disease in the future. To ensure patient privacy clinical data is encrypted and carefully stored in a central database. Human biomaterials are collected according to nationally agreed standards. The PSI infrastructure and collaboration between the eight University Medical Centres can also be utilised for other diseases wherefore clinical data, images and human biomaterial is being collected. PSI offers possibilities for every disorder wherefore collaborative research is desired.