Collaboration, culture, coordination: Keys to supporting brain donation
Nina Silverberg, Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Centers Program, Division of Neuroscience (DN)
Many Americans are aware of the life-saving impact of organ donation, but Alzheimer’s and dementia’s emotional toll on families, combined with cultural and religious values, can make conversations about the research value of brain donation difficult. Brain donation and sample availability remain low across many groups who are especially important to AD/ADRD research.
To tackle these challenges, we need data-driven, culturally appropriate educational efforts and intervention strategies. To this end, researchers are combining the strengths of the NIH NeuroBioBank and NIA’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers to help improve access and availability of tissue samples, widen community outreach and engagement, and expand brain donation awareness and acceptance. Read the full blog post.
