Our latest data release, 2025 Scientific Conference, and new virtual user group

Last month we closed off the year with our 2025 Scientific Conference, which brought members of our researcher community together for a packed day of academic insights, discussion, and networking. Thank you to the nearly 2,500 of you who joined us, either in London or online. If you weren't able to attend, the full set of recordings will soon be available to watch on our YouTube channel.

​At the conference we explored the recent data release v20, one of our most substantial sets of new and updated data in recent years. Each addition helps make the resource larger, deeper, and more informative for research across ever-widening fields. We have yet more impactful new data planned for this year. Keep an eye on the Community for updates.

​I am also pleased to confirm that we intend to extend our collaboration with DNAnexus and AWS, continuing their support for a platform that is robust, scalable, and able to meet the needs of a growing research community. As always, we will continue to listen to your feedback to ensure the platform and tools develop in ways that support your vital work.

​As we begin 2026, I'd like to thank all of you for your continued support of UK Biobank and your ongoing contributions to biomedical research. I look forward to keeping you updated over the year ahead.

Professor Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and Chief Executive, UK Biobank

Data release v20 and queue times

You may have spotted that due to the popularity of our latest data release, we recently paused the dispense and refresh queues for a short time. We know this can be disruptive but it has been a necessary measure to ensure the platform can work through requests in an orderly manner.

​The queue has since been restored to normal, but we expect ongoing high traffic as our researchers continue to make the most of the new data. Please be aware that requests may take longer than usual, and that further pauses are possible. Check the DNAnexus status page for the latest updates on queues.

​Data release v20 includes:

• The world’s richest metabolomic dataset
• Imaging data for 100,000 participants
• Clonal Haematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential (CHIP) data for the full cohort
• And much more...

​You can find a full summary of what's available here on the Community.

UKB-RAP pricing update

As of 1 January 2026, DNAnexus has introduced an updated UKB-RAP rate card, the first adjustment to compute and storage costs in several years. The updated rate card still provides competitive rates, and we will work closely with DNAnexus and AWS to keep costs as low as possible while ensuring a secure, reliable, and scalable platform. If you need help funding your research, financial support packages are available.

Data linkage survey

What additional linked sources of data to UK Biobank would boost your research? 

Complete our survey to inform and shape UK Biobank’s strategy for linking data from multiple sources safely and securely, enabling richer, more impactful research in the public interest.

Read more here.

Researcher Voices

Researcher Voices is a new virtual user group representing UK Biobank's researcher community. It offers a structured way for UK Biobank to gather direct insight from researchers and involve you earlier in shaping our work.

​By taking part, you can:

• Share feedback directly with UK Biobank
• Test new concepts and materials before launch
• Help co-develop improvements to tools, communications, and processes

​Membership is open to all registered UK Biobank researchers. Involvement may include short surveys, focus groups, or testing new tools, and you can choose to take part as much or as little as you wish.

Sign up here.

Imaging Data Symposium

Thank you to everyone who joined our Imaging Data Symposium on 20th November 2025. The special event explored the huge amount of imaging data made available as part of data release v20, along with some insightful case studies on what's already been done with our existing imaging data, and useful tools to help you get more out of your research. The recording is now available here.

​We've also created this summary with overviews of what was discussed, and links to useful resources for continued learning and development.

New AI tools

On top of the massive amount of imaging data available on UKB-RAP, we’ve also added new AI tools to help streamline your research. 

​​MONAI (Medical Open Network for AI) is a powerful, open-source tool that supports AI-assisted image annotation and analysis, and can be launched directly from UK Biobank's platform.

​Find out more about using MONAI in UKB-RAP on the Community.

Upcoming Events

​Webinar: Metabolomics in UK Biobank

New time: 3pm (GMT), Wednesday 21 January 2026

Online

Register here

​Festival of Genomics and Biodata 2026

28-29 January 2026

ExCeL, London

Event website

New on the Community

Did you know pre-processed images, including NIFTI files, are available on UKB-RAP? To find out how to access them, read our guide on viewing images on UKB-RAP with 3D Slicer.

​For more on working with images, we've created this summary of imaging tools on UKB-RAP, including guides on brain imaging analysis, MATLAB, and how to deploy your own tools.

​Remember: the Community Forum is your opportunity to collaborate with other UK Biobank researchers around the world. To keep up to date with the latest announcements, use the Follow feature - you’ll find the button just under the page heading.