Numerous ethical, legal and social issues arise with biological sample sharing. The study explored the perspectives of genetic/genomic researchers on the sharing of biological samples in international collaborative research. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 researchers. Participants expressed positive attitudes towards biobanking and appreciated the benefits of cross-border sharing of biological samples but noted that this practice had adversely affected local capacity building efforts. There was limited understanding of the ethico-regulatory frameworks governing sample sharing. Researchers emphasized the importance of respecting cultural values in biobanking research. Issues concerning poor governance and inequitable benefit sharing were also raised. There is a need for fair and equitable international collaborations where all researchers are treated with respect and as equal partners.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study was funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U01HG009810.

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Ethics committee of Makerere University School of Biomedical Sciences Research Ethics Committee gave approval for this work

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