Clinical Research

Brain Tissue Donation Program

The goals of the Brain Tissue Donation Program are to improve our ability to diagnose Alzheimer's disease as early as possible, to improve existing treatments, to develop new treatments for Alzheimer's disease, and to learn more about the disease process. These goals cannot be accomplished without the generosity and altruism of individuals who join with Mount Sinai by participating in our brain tissue donation program. Any individual over age 65, with or without memory impairment, is eligible to participate in this program. We have specially trained staff available to discuss the postmortem donation process and to answer any questions you may have.

Read important facts about brain tissue donation and our mission statement. You are welcome to telephone the Memory and Aging Center (MAC) at (212) 241-1844 or send an e-mail to karen.dahlman@mssm.edu. If you would like to arrange for a health care proxy, forms are available for NY HCP or NJ HCP. If you have a family member who was a participant in our program and who has just passed away, please phone the 24-hour autopsy hotline at (212) 807-5541 (you will need to download the postmortem consent for autopsy form or it can be faxed to you). If you would like more information, contact us. GCO #84-119 and #79-141, Principal Investigator: Dr. Vahram Haroutunian, MSSM IRB approved through 3/31/09.