BLEEDS is run by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and led by Dr Roser Vento-Tormo (find out more about Roser’s research). We’re studying the biology of periods — including which genes and cells are active, and what’s different for people with heavy periods.
What are genes and cells?
Genes are sections of DNA that provide instructions to help our cells work and our bodies grow and develop.
Cells are the tiny building blocks of our bodies. Different types of cells carry out different jobs, like fighting infection or forming the lining of the womb.
Taking part is entirely your choice.
How it works
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Join
Sign up online and arrange a virtual
or telephone appointment with one of the consenting teams. If you live
near, or are willing to travel to, Cambridge University Hospitals, you
can also decide if you’d like to donate a small biopsy of your
endometrium. This is optional.
What is the endometrium?
The endometrium is the soft lining inside the womb that thickens every month and sheds during a period.
- Receive your kit We post you a study kit, including a smart menstrual cup, a traditional menstrual cup, a vaginal swab kit, and clear instructions. This will include your unique study ID, to ensure no personal details are given to the research team.
- Collect your sample Wear a menstrual cup and collect one sample during the first three days of your period.
- Return your sample Package your sample and post it to the research team.
- Sample processed We assign your sample a new study ID and research your sample in the lab. See what we do with your sample.
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Data stored safely
Your data is pseudonymised and kept securely.
What does pseudonymised mean?
Pseudonymised means that your name is replaced with an ID code, and the key linking the code back to your name is kept securely by the consenting team and never shared with Sanger researchers.