Dr. Shobha Anilkumar is the scientific officer in charge of biobank operations, including Quality Management System services (QMS). She played a prominent role in the ISO20387 accreditation process right from the preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), drafting of the Biobank manual according to ISO standards, staff assessment, and training. CBR Biobank received its accreditation on the 8th ^th of August 2024.

She manages the operations of the CBR Biobank by closely coordinating with other scientific officers and faculty members involved in CBR’s flagship research projects. Her key responsibilities include overseeing the procurement process, ensuring timely maintenance, and handling the annual renewal of maintenance contracts for all critical equipment. She regularly monitors the stock of consumables (reagents, kits, and plasticware), conducts periodic inventory checks, and places indents with the purchasing department to maintain optimal stock levels. Additionally, she manages and oversees blood collection camps in Srinivaspura, organizes logistics, and coordinates with local staff to ensure smooth operations. She oversees scheduling for blood collection under projects like the Tata Longitudinal Study of Aging (TLSA) and GenomeIndia, ensuring optimal utilization of resources and personnel. Routine monitoring of freezer temperatures and updating of logbooks are part of her duties to maintain biobank freezer performance and preserve sample integrity. In collaboration with other scientific officers and faculty members, she prioritizes blood samples for DNA isolation, sequencing, APOE genotyping, and plasma biomarker analysis. She also maintains the records of assay results, providing timely information to faculty members involved in various flagship projects upon request.