Brain Donation

Registration Process

The University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank gratefully accepts brain and other affected tissue donations from individuals with neurologic, developmental, movement, and psychiatric disorders. We also accept brain and spinal cord donations from individuals with no underlying neurological or developmental disorders to serve as unaffected controls. We recover tissue from donors of all ages, especially those with pediatric onset and genetic disorders.

Preregistration is encouraged, but not required, as it simplifies and speeds the process of tissue recovery when death occurs.

***Donors with any variant of Alzheimer’s, Dementia, or age-related
brain deterioration/cognitive decline, please send UMBTB an email to
be screened for eligibility prior to filling out our forms.

Please note that UMBTB requires medical records to be sent at the time of registration. UMBTB cannot review or process a registration without medical records, except in some select cases.

Once a registration has been submitted, and medical records have been received, UMBTB will use guidelines established by the NIH NeuroBioBank network to determine if the donor is eligible to donate. Application review can take up to 2 weeks after receiving medical records unless the donor is noted to be transitioning or death has already occurred.

The donor or the donor’s NOK will receive notice that the registration has either been confirmed or rejected.

If you are interested in donating, please email btbdonors@som.umaryland.edu for the link to our online registration forms or by calling (410) 706-1755.

** If death is imminent or has already occurred and you are not yet registered with our bank, please indicate on your inquiry email for the link, give us a call at (410) 706-1755 before completing the forms. A staff member can be reached 24 hours a day in cases of death or imminent death emergencies. All routine questions should be emailed to staff or called in during business hours.