IARC scientist contributes to new Malaysian Guidelines on the Use of Human Biological Samples for Research

Dr Zisis Kozlakidis, Head of Laboratory Support, Biobanking, and Services at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), served as an external reviewer for the newly published second edition of the Malaysian Guidelines on the Use of Human Biological Samples for Research, published by the National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Malaysia. Dr Kozlakidis reviewed the guidelines as part of the activities of the IARC-led Low- and Middle-Income Countries Biobank and Cohort Building Network (BCNet) initiative.

The guidelines outline the conditions under which human biological samples that are collected within Malaysia can be used for research. This second edition includes lessons learned from the implementation of the original guidelines, the needs that emerged through the COVID-19 pandemic, and a dedicated focus on the associated data that are collected alongside the physical samples, as well as a clear outline for the secondary use of data.

This publication provides clear guidance for the growing number of research infrastructures within Malaysia, such as biobanks and data repositories. It is also a testament to the significant impact of IARC and BCNet on national policies and guidelines in health-care research, in this case with the help of long-time IARC collaborators Dr Hans Prakash Sathasivam, Director of the Malaysian National Biobank at the Malaysian National Institutes of Health and a BCNet member, and Dr Subasri Armon, Head of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

Ministry of Health, Malaysia (2025)
Malaysian Guidelines on the Use of Human Biological Samples for Research, 2nd edition

Read the guidelines