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• The SickKids Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences Biobank

The SickKids Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences Biobank, Canada

Objective: The SickKids Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences (DOVS) Biobank is a resource of biospecimens, clinical data and images contributed by individuals with pediatric ophthalmic conditions who have provided their consent for use in research. The DOVS Biobank provides services related to the collection and storage of specimens and data according to regulatory requirements and it ensures that a high-quality resource is available to researchers; from which they can draw substantial linked collections of material and associated clinical data. The Biobank collects material and data from patients at SickKids and additional sites across North America and the United Kingdom. A defining feature of the SickKids DOVS Biobank is the inclusion of Patient Advocates (“patient” defined as an individual with lived experience of disease, including informal caregivers) throughout all levels of governance. Collaboration with patient advocates enriches research quality and ultimately plays a crucial role in making sure downstream research is truly impactful for patients. A key strength of the SickKids DOVS Biobank, in addition to biospecimens and clinical data, is the inclusion of a rich set of images including ophthalmic images and scanned pathology slides. This comprehensive resource enhances the Biobank's utility, facilitating groundbreaking research across various domains. Researchers can leverage the wealth of biospecimens and clinical outcome data for both clinical and molecular investigations, while the inclusion of images supports cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. The SickKids DOVS Biobank is made up of several collections including, the Rare Pediatric Eye Cancer Biobank, and the Anterior Segment Biobank.