New podcast episode: Prof. Walter Ricciardi on an urgent case for science

“We as scientists, we as professionals, we as leaders have to first of all realise how the situation is changing, a change of epoch, and how to manage. Because for the first time, the dams that shaped our security are trying to break.”

The latest episode of the BBMRI-ERIC podcast shares the keynote address delivered by Professor Walter Ricciardi at the BBMRI-ERIC 10th anniversary workshop.

The anniversary event was held at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union, Brussels on 29 February 2024 and brought together key members of the biobanking community to explore BBMRI-ERIC’s impact as a research infrastructure over the last ten years and look to the future.

We were delighted, and privileged, that the 10th anniversary keynote was delivered by Prof. Walter Ricciardi who is the EU Cancer Mission Board Chair and Chair of the BBMRI-ERIC Scientific and Ethical Advisory Board.

Walter has been a key advisor for BBMRI-ERIC over a number of years and shares our strong vision on the importance of health and life science research for societal wellbeing. He also understands the vital role that biobanks play in this.

Prof. Ricciardi is full Professor of Hygiene and Director of the School of Hygiene and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC) (Rome). He is Chair of Mission Board for Cancer (EC), Scientific Committee of Human Technopole Foundation, European Mission Board for vaccination.

In this talk, Professor Ricciardi presents an urgent case for science in an age when we are facing multiple pressures on our health that is intrinsically linked to the health of our planet.

You will hear him link to the EU Mission on Cancer and the vital role that policy makers play in supporting the work of research infrastructures, such as BBMRI-ERIC, to drive forward innovative approaches, standards and research into solving major health challenges.

The full transcript is available here.

BBMRI-ERIC Podcast

“One Health is fundamentally about cooperation.” (Prof. Jabob Zinsstag)

On 24 March 2026, three expert speakers joined us for a new ELSI Dialogues webinar to discuss the role biobanks can play in realising the One Health strategy. Josephine Uldry, Jakob Zinsstag and Adam Strobeyko discussed One Health from philosophical, societal, legal and practical perspectives, highlighting the complexity of the topic.

This webinar opens with a short introduction by Josephine Uldry (Swiss Biobanking), outlining the means for the biobanking community to support a One Health approach in research. Prof. Jakob Zinsstag (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute), a pioneer of the One Health concept, shares insights from his extensive field experience in implementing this approach in diverse contexts and communities, illustrating how One Health approaches can improve epidemiology and public health policy in practice. Dr Adam Strobeyko (Swiss Biobanking and Global Health Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute) discusses the legal dimensions of pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response the efforts to integrate One Health into international frameworks and practical implications for biobanks.

About One Health

The goal of One Health is to balance and optimise the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment. This view moves away from an anthropocentric approach centred around humans and recognises how tightly these realms and their health are interwoven. This is a crucial step towards a healthier future as it is especially important for tackling emerging zoonotic diseases (infectious diseases transmitted from non-human animals to humans), antimicrobial resistance, food safety risks, environmental pollution and global health security.

Biobanks at the centre of One Health

Biobanking across human and non-human domains can play a key role in operationalising the One Health approach. They can support the collection, storage and sharing of human, animal, plant and environmental samples and data as indispensable resources for surveillance, research and policymaking.

BBMRI-ERIC and One Health

Our recently published 10-Year Roadmap (2025-2035) and our current Work Programme (2025-2027) are guided by the One Health approach as clear direction for our strategic development and actions. Follow our news on the website and on our socials for more info and future updates on the topic.

🔗 Watch the video recording here.