CRF Joins REACH Network’s Black History Month Celebrations to Raise Awareness of Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) Bioresource

As part of this year’s Black History Month celebrations, our Clinical Research Facility (CRF) was delighted to attend the Race Equality and Cultural Heritage (REACH) Network event to raise awareness about the Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) Bioresource.

The event provided a fantastic opportunity to introduce our CRF and to talk about the important work being done through the IBHO Bioresource — a study designed to bridge the gap in knowledge and understanding of diseases disproportionately affecting Black communities, particularly sickle cell disease. We told everyone at the event that the IBHO Bioresource is open to anyone from a Black community and anyone with Sickle Cell, no matter what their race or ethnicity. By taking part, participants can play an active role in helping researchers better understand health outcomes and develop more inclusive, effective treatments for the future.

The study involves a few simple steps — providing consent, a blood sample, completing a short questionnaire, and sharing relevant data to support the research. Importantly, the study is entirely patient-led, meaning participants have full control over their involvement and can withdraw at any time if they change their mind.

We also handed out flyers and encouraged both staff and attendees to share information about IBHO beyond our hospital’s wards — helping to spread the word within their own communities and networks. We invited attendees to contact our team for more information or to book an appointment to take part.

We can keep spreading the word and getting more people involved in important research that helps everyone have better health outcomes. Visit the NIHR bioresource website to find out more about IBHO or get involved.