Studying the brain after death is the best way for doctors to diagnose brain diseases accurately, and for scientists to make discoveries that might lead to a cure. That said, finding enough brain donors is a constant challenge—which makes every donation a critical step forward.

Anyone. It is important to obtain brains from individuals with a range of symptoms and diagnoses and to have healthy individuals participate for comparison. No religions prohibit brain donation.

All identifiers for each brain are removed prior to any analysis, tissue disbursement, or publications.

There are no costs associated with brain donation. The Brain Bank covers all transportation to and from the Mount Sinai Hospital, and a copy of the autopsy report is free. Any costs for a funeral or cremation service remain the family’s responsibility.

No. The brain donation will not alter the individual’s appearance and will not delay funeral arrangements.

Yes. A report containing a detailed summary of the findings from the examination will be provided to your family.

At any time, you can enroll yourself or do so on behalf of someone else, provided you are their Next of Kin or Legal Authorized Representative. You do not need to wait for a hospitalization, a move to hospice care, or the time of passing. In many cases, the earlier a person is enrolled, the better, so your wishes can be carried out as smoothly as possible without causing any delays to funeral plans. If you enroll another person early in the process, our team will stay in contact until the time of passing.

For non-urgent enrollment, please email brainbank@mountsinai.org or call 646-877-4269 or 929-996-1961during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, for questions and additional information.

If you are calling on behalf of an imminent potential donor or a potential donor who has just passed, please call 212-659-8617 at any time, day or night. Our on-call coordinator will answer your call or call back as soon as possible.

To enroll, we will send you a Brain Donation Packet containing an anatomical gift form, a clinical history questionnaire, a medical record release form, and additional information by mail and/or email. Our coordinator can help you with all the forms.