ORGANIZATIONS ACCEPTING BRAIN DONATIONS
Please feel free to contact the below listed Organizations in regard to your loved one’s brain donation. They will assist you in making all necessary arrangements. Most of these organizations provide free of charge service Nationwide unless noted below including pick-up and transportation, except for traditional funeral home arrangements.
All brain donations must be made within 24 hours of the announcement of death.
While these Organizations accept donations from most States unless noted below, there are some states where recovery is harder due to the geographics and lack of available recovery specialists at the time of the donor’s death. Please keep in mind some donors will not qualify based on circumstances surrounding death, or history of stroke or infectious diseases.
It is highly recommend that you contact the Organization of your choice as early as possible once the decision to donate has been made. That way, it will be a much easier and quicker process at the time of death.
BRAIN DONOR PROJECT Phone #513-393-7878
P.O. Box 111002 Contact: Tish
Naples, FL 34108-1929 www.braindonorproject.org
Accepts brain donations from Lewy Body Dementia donors and most Dementias. Also provides recovery specialist, pathologist, and pathology report to family free of charge.
HARVARD BRAIN TISSUE RESOURCE CNTR Phone #800-272-4622
McLean Hospital, Mail Stop 138 www.hbtrc.mclean.harvard.edu
115 Mill Street
Belmont, MA 02478-1064
Accepts brain donations Nationwide except from Alaska and Hawaii. Covers all aspects of the brain donation and works on transportation with funeral home or organ procurement organizations.
NIH NEUROBIOBANK –
THE MOUNT SINAI/JJ PETERS VA MEDICAL CENTER NIH BRAIN AND TISSUE REPOSITORY
Their mission is to promote understanding of the human brain in health and disease and brain features that govern behavior and cognition through detailed and direct study. The NBTR banks and distributes brain and related tissue specimens to research laboratories throughout the world, including laboratories at Mount Sinai, for expert study and the advancement of knowledge. https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/nih-brain-tissue-repository
Contact:
Maxwell Bustamante at Maxwell.Bustamante@mssm.edu – Phone: 718-584-9000- x6083 and x6080
Vahram (Harry) Haroutunian at vahram.haroutunian@mssm.edu
BRAIN SUPPORT NETWORK Phone #650-814-0848
PO Box 7264 Contact: Robin Riddle
Menlo Park, CA 94026 www.brainsupportnetwork.org
Accepts brain donations from all brain diseases, except from late on-set Alzheimer’s patients unless there is a family history of dementia. Suggests a $500 charitable contribution or to request memorial donations be sent to Brain Support Network in lieu of flowers.
NATIONAL DISEASE RESEARCH INTERCHANGE Phone #800-222-6374
Three Parkway Contact: Hamidou Keita
1601 Cherry Street, Suite 1700 www.ndriresource.org
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Email: PrivateDonor@ndriresource.org
Also provides recovery specialist, pathologist, and pathology report to family free of charge.
BIGGS INSTITUTE BRAIN BANK CORE Phone #210-450-8423
7703 Floyd Curl Drive Contact: Dr. Ganapathy
San Antonio, TX 78229 www.biggsinstitute.org
Primarily deals with Texas, but does accept nationwide if patient meets certain criteria. Removes brain and spinal cord with all donations and provides free pathology report. Arranges for transportation, most times.
FLORIDA BRAIN BANK Phone #305-674-2543
Mount Sinai Medical Center Foundation Contact: Cesar
4300 Alton Road, Ascher Bldg, Suite 100 www.msmc.com
Miami Beach, FL 33140
Email: MountSinaiMedicalCenterFoundation@msmc.com
Offers direct assistance programs from the State of Florida to Florida residents, but does accept brain donations nationwide. Offers support to others who are out of State and puts them in contact with proper organizations to better serve them.