Better Together
Building a brighter future ... together
Better Together is a research program that helps scientists unlock the causes of diseases to find new treatments and cures. Learn how you and your child can be part of this exciting effort.
Why we’re Better Together
The Better Together research program at Texas Children’s Hospital is helping doctors and scientists understand diseases, discover new drugs, and provide answers to families struggling with rare or undiagnosed disorders. It’s also helping scientists find new biomarkers, which track diseases in large groups of people, and explain why some patients react differently to medications and other treatments.
One key feature of the program is a biobank, which is a freezer that stores samples like blood, tissue and saliva. When paired with a patient’s medical record, these samples help speed up the pace of research. That’s because scientists can quickly find the samples they need, instead of spending months or even years looking for the right participants for their studies.
But we can’t be Better Together without you . . .
Participation is easy!
No extra blood draws or visits are required.
Here's how it works:
When your child’s blood is drawn during a regular visit, a small amount is typically left over after testing. Normally, this extra blood is thrown away. With your permission, we’ll instead store it in our biobank.
We’ll link the leftover sample to your child’s medical record and assign both a random code of numbers and letters to protect your child’s privacy.
Our scientists and approved partners can then study your child’s sample, along with thousands of others, to unlock the secrets of diseases and genetic disorders.
Just a small amount of blood can be used in up to one hundred studies. That’s one reason we’re Better Together!
Leading the way in biobank research
Texas Children’s has almost twenty years’ experience in biobanking and, to date, our researchers have identified _____ new disease genes from biobanked samples. We also draw from the country’s largest volume of pediatric patients in the nation’s most diverse city, Houston. This allows us to study how diseases and drugs might affect racial and ethnic groups differently, helping to ensure inclusive care for all children.
Learn how to enroll your child:
Still have questions?
Check out our frequently asked questions
or feel free to contact us at 832-822-4850 or biobank@texaschildrens.org