Central Finland biobank is looking for new volunteers as researchers in Jyväskylä aim to increase its collection from about 30,000 to 40,000 samples by the end of 2026, in a project designed to link genetic data with lifestyle, health and environmental information.
The biobank, owned by the Wellbeing Services County of Central Finland (Keski-Suomen hyvinvointialue) and the University of Jyväskylä (Jyväskylän yliopisto), stores biological samples donated voluntarily by adults in the region. Most of the material consists of blood samples, although other types of tissue can also be included. The samples are used for biological, medical, sport science and health science research, with a focus on disease prevention and better long-term health outcomes.
Why Central Finland wants more biobank volunteers
The Central Finland biobank was established in 2015, with sample collection beginning in 2018. It is currently based at Hospital Nova (Sairaala Nova) in Jyväskylä and has become a regional research infrastructure for studies on public health, prevention and personalised medicine.
The new target is ambitious: the biobank now holds roughly 30,000 samples, and researchers want to reach 40,000 by the end of the year. To encourage participation, the wellbeing services county and the university are using a lifestyle questionnaire. Those who complete it will receive individual feedback on habits such as physical activity, nutrition, sleep and other lifestyle factors, compared with national recommendations.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in health research. Instead of looking only at single risk factors, researchers want to understand how several elements interact over time. Associate Professor Elina Sillanpää at the University of Jyväskylä described the data collection as distinctive because it can combine genetic information with environmental and lifestyle data. As she put it, illnesses do not develop because of one factor alone.
Genetic and lifestyle data could support disease prevention
The project is linked to BioRecall, a study that combines survey data with existing genomic data, biobank register information and biomarkers derived from blood samples. The aim is to examine how genes, everyday behaviour and environmental exposure jointly influence health and disease risk.
For researchers, the strength of the Central Finland model lies in its long-term design. Participants may be followed over the life course, allowing scientists to study how health risks develop and how prevention could be improved before disease becomes more serious.
This is particularly relevant in Central Finland, where musculoskeletal disorders are common and health inequalities have increased. Research leaders say the findings could eventually help the wellbeing services county improve services, target prevention and design more personalised forms of care.
What participants can learn from the Finnish biobank study
Participation is voluntary. People who have given consent and provided a stored sample can be invited to answer the lifestyle questionnaire, with invitations expected in the autumn. According to the University of Jyväskylä, the questionnaire covers areas such as physical activity, diet, substance use, stress, sleep, work-related exposure and the living environment.
Participants who complete the digital questionnaire receive personalised feedback on their lifestyle in relation to national recommendations. For some volunteers, the motivation is not only personal. Yle interviewed Jyväskylä resident Kirsi Takkinen, who said she hoped the research could benefit later generations, including her grandchildren.
There may also be a more direct health-related dimension. Research Director Tiina Jokela of the Central Finland biobank said sample donors can choose whether they want to be informed if their sample reveals health-relevant information, such as genetic mutations. The decision remains entirely up to each participant.
Finland’s biobank system links consent, research and data protection
Finland has ten nationally registered biobanks, operating under dedicated legislation introduced in 2013. The Finnish Biobank Act allows biobanks to collect, store and analyse samples and related data for research, while setting requirements on consent, registration, privacy and access to information.
Under Finnish rules, biobank samples and data are generally coded before being made available for research. They are intended for scientific use, not for administrative or criminal decision-making concerning the individual donor. This legal framework is central to public trust, especially as biobank research increasingly connects biological material with sensitive health and lifestyle data.
Central Finland’s project also reflects a wider Nordic pattern: strong public health systems, population registers and university-led research infrastructures make Finland and its neighbouring countries important settings for long-term health studies. But the model depends on voluntary participation and confidence that personal data will be handled responsibly.
A regional project that could become national
Sillanpää has said the hope is that the Central Finland project could become the starting point for broader and deeper research. If the regional data collection succeeds, similar work could eventually expand across Finland.
For now, the immediate goal is more concrete: reaching 40,000 biobank samples by the end of 2026. If achieved, the expanded collection would strengthen Central Finland’s role in preventive health research and give scientists a larger base for studying how genes, lifestyles and environments shape disease risk over a lifetime.
