Parkinson's UK Brain Bank
By pledging your brain to Parkinson’s research, you can help understand more about Parkinson’s to unlock new treatments to transform the lives of 166,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the UK.
What is the Brain Bank?
The Brain Bank is based at Imperial College London and is funded by us and the MS Society as a world-leading hub that accelerates research for people either living with Parkinson’s or MS.
You can choose to pledge your brain specifically to Parkinson’s research. They collect precious tissue from people with and without Parkinson's who want to accelerate the search for better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s.
The donation of brain tissue has already led to major advances in our understanding of Parkinson's, and resulted in new treatments being developed and tested.
Donation is not an easy decision and we are extremely grateful to the donors and their families who have chosen to do this.
How you can pledge to donate your brain
Visit the Imperial University website to find out more and fill in the relevant forms to pledge your brain to the Parkinson's UK Brain Bank.
If you would prefer the forms posted to you or have a question please contact the Brain Bank on 020 7594 9732 or email [email protected].
Why study the brain?
The human brain is very difficult for scientists to study. Unlike some other organs, we cannot simply take samples to study under the microscope, and brain scanning techniques (although getting better all the time) are limited. Complex brain conditions like Parkinson's are pretty unique to humans, which makes them difficult to study in animals.
The Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank helps researchers to study Parkinson's by sending precious tissue all over the world to help power future breakthroughs.
Parkinson’s UK has already committed to joint funding the creation of a new digital brain bank to enable scientists from around the world to access brains virtually, making research more effective and efficient.
What to do when a donor dies?
Our guide takes you through what to do, step-by-step, when a brain donor dies. Read our guide on what to do when a donor dies.
Do you want a future free from Parkinson's?
The Brain Bank is instrumental in continuing to support vital research into Parkinson's. But we aren’t done yet. With your help, the greatest breakthroughs are still to come.