Trust, collaboration, and open dialogue about shared challenges were the main themes of our meeting with representatives of the Różowe Okulary – Stowarzyszenie Pomocy Chorym Onkologicznie.
For many years, the foundation has been carrying out educational and support activities for people affected by cancer and their families. It organizes workshops, meetings, and initiatives aimed at increasing public awareness of diseases and disabilities. The Biobank Research Group at Łukasiewicz – PORT develops biobanking as a tool supporting biomedical research, conducting its work in a responsible and transparent way and in dialogue with patient organizations in order to better respond to real health needs in society.
Dr. hab. Patrycja Gazińska, leader of the Biobank Research Group, spoke about the idea of building dialogue between the scientific community and patient organizations. Jakub Pawłów introduced participants to the fundamentals of biobanking at Łukasiewicz – PORT, presenting how the process of collecting, storing, and sharing biological material for scientific research works in practice.
An important part of the meeting was also devoted to the ethics of biobanking and the concept of PPIE (Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement)—one of the components of the P4Health project—presented by Patrycja Szałapska. The discussion on informed consent, data protection, and good practices in cooperation with patient organizations highlighted how essential it is to build relationships based on transparency and mutual respect.
Anna Wojtysiak, who coordinates cooperation with patient organizations at Łukasiewicz – PORT, also participated in the meeting. Her experience in conducting dialogue with patient groups contributed to the discussion of practical aspects of partnership and the expectations that patient communities have toward scientific institutions.
During a visit to the laboratories of the Biobank Research Group, guests were able to see the path of a sample—from the moment of collection to its use in scientific projects. A biobank is not only infrastructure and procedures. Above all, it is collaboration—with patients, physicians, and society as a whole—without which the development of medicine would not be possible.
The PPIE approach is one of the pillars of the P4Health strategy. This model assumes the genuine involvement of patients and the public at different stages of the research cycle—from planning to analysis and communication of results. As a result, research can be better aligned with real societal health needs and can improve the relevance and quality of scientific projects.
