In May, the Oxford NORS perioperative team, led by Angela Losekann, visited the QUOD Oxford Hub at the John Radcliffe Hospital to meet the team and gain first-hand insight into what happens to the samples collected for the QUOD Biobank during organ retrieval.
It was a pleasure to welcome the team, hear about their experiences of organ retrieval and what a typical week looks like for them, and, in turn, show them how the Hub operates, from assembling our bespoke collection boxes to processing samples for long-term storage, as well as preparing samples to supply to research projects. The visit provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen connections between the two teams, share knowledge, and answer the many thoughtful questions the perioperative team had.
In June, we also held a virtual training session all about QUOD for the Newcastle NORS perioperative team.
We’ve also been reaching out to SNOD regional teams, to provide an update on all things QUOD! Sarah Cross, QUOD’s National Operational Coordinator, met the SNOD team from the South West region and provided an overview of the QUOD pathway, from sample collection and consent through to processing, storage, and distribution to researchers. The roles of the QUOD Hub, SNODs, NORS, and regional laboratory teams were highlighted, as well as QUOD’s whole organ service. The session also showcased the breadth of research supported by QUOD, featuring examples of current studies, and concluded with an update on work with the UKODTRN and donor family members to develop clearer plain language summaries of QUOD research for use by SNOD teams when discussing research with donor families.
Sarah will be meeting with the London SNOD team in July. Please get in touch if your team would like to be involved.