Dr Alison Parry-Jones has made the brave decision to leave the Wales Cancer Biobank and Cardiff University to move closer to her family in London in a ‘reverse escape to the country’ venture!

Alison has been a huge name in biobanking for 20 years, having founded the Wales Cancer Bank (later rebranded as Wales Cancer Biobank) alongside colleagues from both Cardiff University and NHS Wales, in 2004. Since then, the biobank has consented over 17,000 patients, supplied samples to nearly 200 research projects across 10 different countries worldwide.

She is locally, nationally, and internationally renowned in the biobanking community, with a mind-blowing CV of influential positions and achievements across the globe! Most notably as both President and Director-at-Large for Europe, Middle East, and Africa region for the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER); and being awarded the ISBER Special Services award for ‘An exceptional contribution towards the goals of the organisation’. The success of the Wales Cancer Biobank can be put down to the dedication of Dr Parry-Jones and the supporting team she has cultivated and nurtured across the years.

We are sorry to see her go, but grateful that she leaves WCB in a strong position with a bright and exciting future ahead of it as it continues to meet her original objectives for the Biobank, of providing unfettered access to cancer patients’ donated tissues for researchers across the globe.

If you would like to attend Alison’s farewell event or contribute to a gift and card, please contact Abby MacArthur macarthura@cardiff.ac.uk