Donate your Brain to Research (some day):
One of the most amazing donations you can make is to support research though a donation of your brain after death. There are so many things we still don't understand about these diseases, and there is a critical need to examine the parts of the brain responsible, because every single person is different. Unfortunately, not enough people donate, and we can only learn so much from mice and non-human models.
If you are interested in eventually making an ultimate gift, please discuss directly with Dr. Aldridge any questions you may have. To ensure a smooth process, registration should be done ahead of time by calling 319-467-7000 and asking to pre-enroll for brain donation to Marco Hefti (the pathologist). However, if a patient with Lewy Body or any other dementia has already passed, please immediately call the decedent Care Team at 319-467-7000 and mention Dr. Marco Hefti.
More information about the brain bank can be found here: https://inrl.lab.uiowa.edu/
Monetary Support: If you are interested in donating directly to support dementia research, either within the Aldridge Laboratory or at University of Iowa in general, there are multiple ways to help listed below.
Prior and current donations have been used for the following:
- Pilot research studies to gather initial data to apply for NIH funding in areas of research without current, traditional support.
- Support for cost of autopsy and brain research for individuals that were not patients at University of Iowa (the University/Pathology department covers the cost for individuals that were current patients).
- Support for the SMASH Registry , along with funding from the Carver Charitable Trust, while we apply for NIH funding.
By Mail:
By Mail: You can make a check payable to University of Iowa Center for Advancement and reference the Lewy Body Dementia Research Fund or the Neurology- Alzheimer's Disease Research Fund.
Please note the person you are honoring, if applicable.
Mail to: UI Center for Advancement, One West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242
In person
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or setting up a fund in your name, please contact:
Morgan Shea
Assistant Vice President, Health Science Development
The University of Iowa Center for Advancement
One West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242
Office: 319-467-3505 Mobile: 224-203-4778
foriowa.org
Morgan.Shea@foriowa.org