About the NIH NeuroBioBank

Overview

The NIH-funded NeuroBioBank (NBB) was established in September 2013 as a national resource for investigators utilizing human post-mortem brain tissue and related biospecimens for their research to understand conditions of the nervous system.

With specimens that span neurological, neuropsychiatric, and neurodevelopmental diseases and disorders, the NBB serves as a central point of access to the world-class collections of our six biorepositories. In addition, the NBB provides researchers with a wealth of resources to facilitate their research, including medical records and clinical data sets (when available) as well as access to quality metrics and best practices used by each site.

Our sites adhere to the highest ethical standards when acquiring specimens for their collections, and protection of donor identity is assured. All brain tissue is procured, stored, and distributed according to applicable state and federal guidelines and regulations involving consent, protection of human subjects and donor anonymity.

Our Goals

  1. To increase the availability of human disease and control brains and related biospecimens by increasing public awareness of the value of tissue donation for understanding brain disorders.

  2. To facilitate the distribution of high-quality, well-characterized human post-mortem brain tissue for the research community.

  3. To make available to the research community, a centralized resource of best practices and protocols used by our networked sites in the acquisition, preparation, and distribution of tissue.

Our Brain Bank Network

University of Miami
Brain Endowment Bank

University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank logo

The Human Brain and Spinal
Fluid Resource Center

The Human Brain and Spinal Fluid Resource Center logo

University of Maryland
Brain and Tissue Bank

University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank logo

Mt. Sinai
Brain Bank

Mt. Sinai Brain Bank logo

Harvard Brain Tissue
Resource Center

Brain Tissue Donation Program
at the University of Pittsburgh

Brain Tissue Donation Program at the University of Pittsburgh logo

Our Partners

The Brain Donor Project Logo The Brain Donor Project

The Brain Donor Project is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to increase the supply of human post-mortem brains donated for scientific research.

Autism BrainNet Logo Autism BrainNet

NIH NeuroBioBank and Autism BrainNet are working collaboratively to collect and distribute donated post-mortem tissue for Autism Spectrum Disorder research.

The National Disease Interchange Logo The National Disease Interchange (NDRI)

A not-for-profit organization, NDRI empowers mental health and neurological research and discovery through the procurement and distribution of human biospecimens worldwide.

Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCS) Logo Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCS)

NIH NeuroBioBank and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) are working collaboratively to collect and distribute donated post-mortem tissue for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias research.

Our Affiliates

The Maryland Brain Collection Logo The Maryland Brain Collection (MBC)

The Maryland Brain Collection (MBC), a resource of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, is dedicated to promoting research with brain tissue obtained post-mortem from individuals with schizophrenia or related disorders.

Human Brain Collection Core Logo Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC)

The mission of Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC) within the National Institute of Mental Health, Division of Intramural Programs (NIMH IRP) is to conduct and support research on brain and behavior, with the goal of reducing the burden of mental illness. We obtain human brain tissue, hair and blood samples from deceased individuals diagnosed with major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, and their consequences (suicide) as well as from individuals without history of mental illness (used as controls).