Science Needs You

The most valuable gift you can leave behind—consider donating your brain to neuroscience research to help future generations.

With more than 3 billion people worldwide affected by a neurological disorder, odds are you or someone in your close circle are impacted. Brain donation helps researchers get the precious tissue they need to continue searching for treatments, cures and even prevention of diseases like Parkinson’s Disease, mental illness, addictions, migraines, and more. It’s such a simple act to give away this precious resource…when you’re done with it. See how it works and consider if it’s right for you.

Register in advance: Complete the online form here. Your brain bank will send consent forms and request additional information directly from you.
Inform your loved ones: Talk about your decision and desire to donate your brain to neuroscience when you pass. Your family will need to play an important role in ensuring your wishes are carried out promptly.
Notify your brain bank: Your family will contact the brain bank immediately upon your death. The brain bank will make arrangements for the brain to be removed (respectfully from the back of the head so it is not disfiguring) typically at the family’s funeral home. There is no cost to the family.
Benefit from your gift: If requested your family may receive a Summary of Neuropathological findings about your brain. Even more importantly, so many families tell us it helps them heal knowing that science will be advanced with this valuable brain tissue.

Pre-Register Your Brain Now

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What others have said after pre-registering:

“As has been said: It's comforting to know that something positive will come from donating my brain upon death. If the final act of leaving this precious gift will advance the science of brain disease, then I'm all in!”
– Registered Donor, W.S.

”After 7 long years of caregiving it was an easy decision to donate my mom’s brain. My mom lived her entire cognitive life helping others. It was an honor to donate her brain to advance Alzheimer’s research and get one step closer to a cure. More importantly this was one last selfless act we could do even in death to benefit others.”
– T.R., daughter of brain donor

Common Questions

Breakthroughs in brain disease depend on studies using donated post-mortem human brain tissue. Since one brain can provide tissue for dozens – sometimes hundreds – of neurological studies, an individual brain donation is a highly valuable gift that almost anyone can make.
No. To ensure research is thorough, it is extremely important that scientists have access to donated brain tissue from people who did not have brain diseases. This is known as control tissue and it is crucial that scientists compare it directly with tissue from a person with a neurological diagnosis to determine differences. In other words, non-diseased brains are extremely valuable to neuroscientists as they must be part of every study.
No. Organ donation and brain donation are separate matters. An organ donor designation on a driver’s license does not include brain donation. Depending on the circumstances of death, it may be possible to donate organs for transplant as well as the brain for scientific research. If this is the case, the recovery teams will coordinate so that both kinds of donations can take place. Separate registrations for both organ donation and brain donation should be completed, if the intention is to donate both.