Parkinson's Brain Bank

The Parkinson's Brain Bank is the UK's largest human brain bank dedicated to Parkinson's. It is based at Imperial College London and is funded by Parkinson's UK.

"The Parkinson's Brain Bank is helping uncover the causes for Parkinson's and this moves us closer to a cure.

"Research made possible by us could lead to the next big breakthrough in Parkinson's."

Dr David Dexter
Scientific Director, Parkinson's Brain Bank

Sign up to the Parkinson's Brain Donor Register

Essential research relies upon the generosity of donors and their families who make the vital gift of brain donation after death.

How to become a brain donor

What the Parkinson's Brain Bank does

The Parkinson's Brain Bank collects the brain, spinal cord and a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from people - with and without Parkinson's - after death.

We provide this brain tissue to researchers around the world who are working towards a cure for Parkinson's.

Find out more about how the Brain Bank supports researchers

Watch our films

Jane Asher visits the Parkinson's Brain Bank  

David Dexter, Scientific Director of the Parkinson's Brain Bank, describes the work of the Brain Bank

Only humans develop Parkinson's – so research must be carried out on human brains.

Comparing brain tissues from people with and without Parkinson's is helping researchers understand what causes Parkinson's and will ultimately help find a cure.

Collecting brains

The Parkinson's Brain Bank team is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - and is able to travel all over the UK to collect donated brains.

We aim to collect a donated brain within 24 hours of death if possible. This means that the tissue is in the best possible condition.

Preserving brains

Every donated brain is weighed, measured and carefully examined before being divided into hundreds of tissue samples.

It is only by examining the brain after death that scientists can be sure whether a person had Parkinson's or not.

The Parkinson's Brain Bank team uses modern dye-based techniques to stain certain proteins in the nerve cells and tissue. This gives a definitive diagnosis of Parkinson's and highlights changes inside the cells.

A full case report explaining both the changes in the brain and the donor's symptoms is made available to the donor's next of kin and to researchers who use the brain tissue.

Providing tissue to researchers

Just one donated brain can be used in up to 50 different research studies.

The Parkinson's Brain Bank supplies tissue to researchers investigating Parkinson's all round the world – including projects in the UK, Europe, USA and Canada.

You can find out more about the types of studies using brain tissue in the Brain Bank Newsletter

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