Established in 1987, the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank™ is one of six National Institute of Health designated biorepositories. It is also one of the largest with over 3,000 brains in our brain bank and over 800 registered living donors.
In September 2013, the Brain Bank received an NIH contract to establish a national brain and tissue repository. The NIH initiative, a joint effort of the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, improves the support of brain banks, facilitates access to tissue by researchers and better educates the public about the need for donated tissue for research. The eight year, $8 million contract underscores the growing importance of studying neurological and psychiatric disorders and the significant national standing of the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank™.