• Contact Us

Columbia University
Irving Medical Center
Neurological Institute

710 West 168th Street, 3rd floor
(212) 305-6939

Patient Care

Voluntary Brain Donation Program
To Support Alzheimer’s Disease Research

The Taub Institute's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center performs an essential research procedure to learn about memory disorders: brain autopsy (also known as brain donation). Our ability to understand how Alzheimer's disease affects the brain and causes debilitating memory loss, confusion, and eventually death, is dependent upon studying brain tissue. This is a key factor in the scientific exploration for study of the diseases of memory loss. Brain autopsy is also useful in clarifying risks to relatives of people with Alzheimer's disease, which in some cases has been identified as a genetic disorder.

Brain autopsy is a type of surgical procedure done after death that does not disfigure the person. Nor are funeral arrangements affected. It is coordinated gently and carefully by our staff here at Columbia from the initial planning stages to the call at the time of death. You will also receive the report generated by the autopsy.

You can make a significant contribution to memory disorders research by your consideration of this procedure. Additionally the donation of normal brain tissue is another way you can help us.

Our brain donation program is available to individuals who have been examined by our physicians or who are enrolled in our research projects.

To learn more about our program, please see our Voluntary Brain Donation Q&A. You may also visit our Frequently Asked Questions page, or contact our Clinical Research Coordinator Donovan Laing directly at (212) 305-9086 or dal2190@cumc.columbia.edu.