The Pathology Investigation and Resources Branch (PIRB)

The Pathology Investigation and Resources Branch (PIRB) supports human specimen resources and pathology investigation to facilitate discovery, translational and cancer diagnostics research that requires patient samples.

• Develops and supports human specimen resources that procure, store, and distribute a variety of biospecimens for research.
• Assists investigators in locating and acquiring human cancer specimens needed for their research.
• Administers the Specimen Resource Locator (SRL), a searchable website that maintains information about existing resources. The SRL matches researchers with appropriate resources for the acquisition of specimens.
• Supports the NCI Tissue Expediter, an individual who assists investigators in locating appropriate resources as well as identifies potential collaborations between investigator and resource.
• Provides pathology expertise and advises researchers on human tissue specimen resources and sample preparation. Provides pathology assessment and QA/QC for specimens on CDP/DCTD/NCI scientific initiatives.
• Collaborates with investigators to optimize sample quality, identifying best molecular QA/QC methods and overcoming challenges in molecular analysis of human samples.
• Supports the development of informatics tools to improve access to human specimens and associated clinical data in NCI funded biospecimen resources.

PIRB Staff