The 1st Open MoBa Research Forum was held in Oslo on September 29, 2022, and was attended by more than 100 researchers interested in MoBa. The purpose of the Open MoBa Research Forum was to bring together researchers to share findings, learn about the latest updates, and provide an opportunity for the scientific community to discuss new ideas and directions for MoBa going forward.
Through a series of presentations the program featured the MoBa cohort, plans for its development, important research findings, and new projects. The program also included a panel discussion that focused on the challenges and new directions for MoBa.
The NIPH Director General Camilla Stoltenberg opened the forum with a description of how MoBa started. MoBa's former scientific director Per Magnus was honoured and thanked for his immense contributions to MoBa. The forum's key note lecture was given by Professor George Davey Smith from the University of Bristol in the U.K.
The MoBa team would like to thank the attendees and speakers for making this a great day. We received positive feedback noting that the forum provided an important opportunity for MoBa researchers to meet, interact, and learn about the latest MoBa updates. We hope to build on this experience in future forums.
The European Research Council (ERC) has granted 14 million Euros to the BIOSFER project. The study includes researchers at the Center for Fertility and Health at NIPH, Aarhus University in Denmark and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany.
The researchers will use data from MoBa and the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) to learn more about why fertility is declining. The researchers will combine knowledge from many disciplines, looking at associations between foetal life, childhood and fertility in adulthood.
The project will also further develop these cohorts by collecting new data from the young adults.
More news about recent findings can be viewed here.
Biobank storage unit up and running
The automated -80 °C storage unit in the Biobank is now up and running after a long down period due to technical issues.
We are happy to inform that biosamples are being shipped again to approved research projects.
Are you wondering which biosamples can be accessed?
An overview of available biosamples from MoBa participants is now published here.
Information on how to access biosamples and the requirement to return analytical data including a quality report and necessary documentation to MoBa is found here.
Access to MoBa biosamples require use of laboratories subject to European legislation (GDPR)
Currently, MoBa does not allow biological material to be sent for analysis to laboratories in countries outside EU/EEA. All analytical work must therefore be performed at a laboratory subject to European legislation (GDPR).
New members to the MoBa Scientific Advisory Board
The MoBa Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) is the advisory body for strategic and scientific issues related to the development, governance and management of MoBa.
The members of the SAB include researchers from different scientific disciplines within our institute. This autumn, MoBa welcomed Drs. Brita Askeland Winje and Ellen Christine Røyrvik, to the MoBa SAB. The new appointed members will bring expertise and skills in research on infection and immunity and genetics to the board.
To read more about the MoBa SAB, its mandate and members, please visit the MoBa SAB website
Want to write to us?
The MoBa Research News is for MoBa researchers and other interested parties. Our newsletter to the participants in MoBa can be found here.
Topics you can read about in this December 2022 issue include the latest news about the MoBa data and samples as well as MoBa research news that may be of interest to the MoBa research community.
Please feel free to write to us by email mobaadm@fhi.no if you have any news or updates that may be of interest to the MoBa scientific community.
Holiday greetings from MoBa
We take this opportunity to thank you for using MoBa in your research, and we look forward to continuing the good collaboration in the new year!
MoBa wishes all researchers, collaborators, and friends a happy and joyful holiday season