Support the Parkinson's UK Brain Bank
The Parkinson's UK Brain Bank was established in 1984 at Imperial College London. It's the world's only dedicated resource of Parkinson’s brain tissue samples.
About the Brain Bank
At the heart of our research and the global effort as a whole, lies the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank. Based at Imperial College London, the Brain Bank collects tissue from people with and without Parkinson's who have decided to leave their brains to Parkinson's research. We’re experts in preparing and storing the precious tissue. We then supply tissue to researchers all over the world who are studying Parkinson’s.
Over the last 16 years, around 400 investigations into the causes of and treatments for Parkinson’s were directly made possible by The Brain Bank. We are proud of our global impact, having collaborated with researchers across 6 continents and 28 countries.
Research we’re helping to make happen
Landmark is a groundbreaking three-year research programme, aiming to understand Parkinson’s in more detail. Relying on hundreds of brain samples from the brain bank, Landmark will profile a minimum 50 million single brain cells across multiple brain regions from 400 donors. This project may reveal the genes that cause the disease and influence its progression, offering new, precise targets for drug development.
We are also supporting a large-scale genetic analysis called the Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2 - funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation). The goal is to sequence the DNA from 200,000 individuals living with Parkinson's to investigate what genetic factors are involved. Sequencing is performed on all suitable cases from the Brain Bank and will contribute to a pivotal data resource for the Parkinson’s research community. The more data the scientific community has about Parkinson's, the more likely we are to find a cure.
Watch the video below to find out more.
It currently costs around £2,000 per day to run the brain bank, and we need to raise £360,000 this year to keep the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank running. Without your support, research into what causes Parkinson’s can’t happen.
Hundreds of research projects have used the precious tissues provided by the Brain Bank. With your support, this invaluable resource will be there for future generations of scientists fighting for a cure.
Please help to fund the Brain Bank by donating today.
Your donation will fund future breakthroughs
You can ensure that vital research continues.
£85 could fund the cost to keep the Brain Bank running for an hour, preparing and storing vital samples to power Parkinson’s research across the globe.
Together we can find new and better treatments.
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We value every brain that is donated to the Brain Bank, enabling scientists across the globe to develop their understanding of Parkinson's. Helping them in their search for better treatments and ultimately a cure.
You can learn more about how to make a pledge to the Brain Bank by visiting our dedicated page.
Every year people living with Parkinson's take part in our research projects, helping us to develop new treatments and shape the support of the future.
If you are interested in finding out about our projects then you can find out more by joining our Research Support Network today.
Whether you have recently received a diagnosis, have been on your journey for some time or are someone looking for advice to support a loved one, we have lots of information and support available to help you.
Visit our information and support pages to find out more.