Volume 224 - Issue 9

The GenV Biobank: Enabling Biological Research in a Large Longitudinal Population-Representative Cohort of Australian Newborns and Their Parents

Authors:  Katherine Lange, Kim L. Powell, Yeukai Mangwiro, Tony Frugier, Donna T. Geddes, Melissa Wake, Richard Saffery

Correspondence: richard.saffery@mcri.edu.au

Med J Aust 2026 || doi: 10.5694/mja2.70304
Published online: 18 September 2026

Abstract

Generation Victoria (GenV), Australia's largest population-representative cohort study, has established a scalable and pragmatic approach to biobanking. This article describes the guiding principles used to overcome previous obstacles and build this unique population-representative mega-cohort birth biobank. By prospectively banking residual clinical biosamples and strategically collecting additional biosamples for targeted multi-omics analyses, GenV reduces participant burden while enabling comprehensive biological research. Designed for long-term follow-up from birth through childhood and beyond, the GenV biobank represents an openly accessible resource, available to the Australian biomedical researcher community through established data and biospecimen access pathways.


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