Accelerating brain research through donated tissue

Nearly 6,000 people have donated their brains to science through the Oregon Brain Bank. We serve as both a tissue repository and a research partner for investigators worldwide.  

The Oregon Brain Bank collects, preserves and shares postmortem brain tissue to advance research into Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, ALS, multiple sclerosis, NBIAs and other neurological conditions. 

As one of the most accessible repositories of our kind, the barriers to collaboration are intentionally low. We offer:

•  Assistance with pilot experiments to help new partners begin their investigations
• One of the largest collections of control tissue in the country

The OBB supports dozens of research groups working to understand, prevent and treat brain disease. 

• See our accomplishments
• Learn about Brain Bank services
• Request tissue or collaborate
• How brain donation works
• Meet the director

Brain Bank accomplishments

The Oregon Brain Bank has operated continuously since 1990, building one of the most comprehensive and accessible brain tissue collections in the country. 

• Nearly 6,000 people have donated brain tissue to the bank, supporting research into a wide range of neurological diseases and providing a rare, large-scale collection of healthy control tissue.
• The bank serves as the neuropathology core for the Oregon Alzheimer’s Disease Center, supporting federally funded longitudinal research into Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
• At any given time, the Oregon Brain Bank actively supports approximately 50 or more collaborative research projects at OHSU and institutions across the country.
• The bank collaborates beyond brain disease, supporting research into kidney, peripheral nerve, eye and other tissues, as well as animal model studies. 

Brain Bank services 

The Oregon Brain Bank is more than a repository. Although our primary focus is Alzheimer’s disease, we hold tissue from patients with Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, multiple sclerosis, NBIA disorders and many other conditions. We also offer technical services and actively seek new research partners. 

Tissue collection

Our collection spans a wide range of neurological conditions and includes healthy controls. Available phenotypes include: 

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies
• Huntington’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Frontotemporal dementia and other tauopathies
• Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation
• Cognitively normal and healthy controls 

Tissue formats include fixed, frozen and paraffin-embedded blocks, stained slides and postmortem ventricular fluid.  

Limited anonymized demographic data is available for each case. 

Technical services

In some cases, we offer specialized tissue analysis for researchers studying both brain and non-brain diseases. Services may include histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and morphologic analysis. 

Robust control cases for research

One of our most distinctive strengths is the depth of our control cases. We provide access to tissue from cognitively normal individuals without brain disease, an area where many brain banks fall short. This robust set of controls expands what researchers can study, making our collection a truly unique resource.

Request tissue or collaborate

Any researcher with a qualifying project can request tissue from the Oregon Brain Bank. Contact us to request tissue, discuss a research collaboration or ask questions about donation. 

• np@ohsu.edu
• 503-494-0100 

How brain donation works

The Oregon Brain Bank welcomes donations from families of patients with neurological diseases, including families who have not previously participated in a research study. 

The brain autopsy and donation process is simple, and we work with families at every step. The wishes and needs of the family always come first.  

What is brain autopsy?

Brain autopsies provide a valuable resource for research into brain diseases. They are the only reliable means of confirming the specific diagnosis of a brain illness. Tissue from a single brain donor may contribute to dozens of studies. 

It is the examination of brain tissue after death. The brain is preserved and small samples are examined under a microscope by a neuropathologist. It remains the only reliable means of confirming the specific diagnosis of a brain illness, and it provides a vital resource for research into the cause, prevention and cure of brain diseases. 

Who can donate?

We accept donations from families of patients with neurological diseases. You do not need to be enrolled in a research study. There should be no legal issues that would indicate the evaluation would be better done by a medical examiner. 

What does it cost?

There is no cost for families of patients enrolled in studies at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center at OHSU. For others, we ask that the family cover transportation costs. Funeral homes typically charge a few hundred dollars.

There is no professional fee for the diagnostic evaluation, and you will not receive a bill from OHSU for laboratory work. If transportation costs are a financial burden, please contact us to explore options. 

Brain donation process

Before donation

Contact the Oregon Brain Bank to discuss the potential diagnosis, the wish for brain autopsy and what to do when the time comes.  

At the time of death

Notify the Oregon Brain Bank as soon as possible. Call the OHSU hospital operator at 503-494-8311 and ask for the neuropathologist on call to be paged. 

Usually, a diagnosis is possible even a few days after death, but the sooner the autopsy is performed, the more the tissue can contribute to research. 

We will work with your family to obtain consent from the legal next of kin and arrange transportation of the body to OHSU. If the body is distant from Portland, it is sometimes possible to have the brain removal done locally. After the autopsy, the body is returned to the funeral home, and your family can proceed with any other arrangements. 

After the autopsy

After a thorough evaluation of the brain tissue, the OBB director will call the family to discuss the results. If you wish, you can receive a written report of the complete findings along with a summarizing letter. 

Meet the director

Randall Woltjer, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of the Oregon Brain Bank. Dr. Woltjer is professor of pathology in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, director of neuropathology at the Oregon Alzheimer’s Disease Center and is jointly appointed in the Department of Neurology.

Resources

• Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center at OHSU 
• NBIA Cure