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Urgent Donation Instructions

Imminent Brain Donation

In the event of a recent or imminent death, please contact the brain bank emergency coordinate immediately. Time is sensitive for brain donation.

GET INVOLVED

Imminent Brain Donation

For imminent brain donation matters, please contact the brain bank directly. At CLF, we welcome learning about your decision to donate at [email protected].

Canada

Canadian Concussion Centre Brain Donation Coordinator

(647) 535-2021
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

USA or Canada

UNITE Brain Bank at Boston University 24-hour emergency donation pager

(617) 992-0615
24/7 Emergency Pager

Note

All brain donation inquiries are handled by Dr. Carmela Tartaglia’s clinical team at the Canadian Concussion Centre. For inquiries about brain donation, brain donors or their family members should contact:

Nusrat Sadia

Clinical Research Assistant

[email protected]

Have Questions?

Research & Brain Donation FAQ

In 2023, the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada partnered with the Canadian Concussion Centre to advance CTE research in Canada. This collaboration is led by Dr. Gabor Kovacs and Dr. Carmela Tartaglia. For more about the Canadian Concussion Centre and our global collaborators, including the impact that brain donation has had on our understanding of CTE, head to our brain banks page.

Research is the key that unlocks our ability to prevent and treat the effects of brain trauma. Clinical research on human volunteers allows scientists to pick up on changes in the brain that lead to CTE while someone is alive, bringing us closer to being able to diagnose CTE during life. The Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada actively recruits for studies led by researchers across Canada. For more information on active studies, head to our clinical research page.

For legal reasons, your pledge is not binding; the final decision to donate will be made by your next of kin. Therefore, it is essential to discuss your intent to donate with your family.
No. All expenses involved with brain donation and participation in the research program are covered by the brain bank. Please note that funeral expenses remain the responsibility of your family.
The autopsy procedure does not interfere with the events associated with the funeral. No disfigurement occurs as a result of this procedure. The family can plan an open casket or other traditional funeral arrangements and the donation process will be undetectable. In addition, we will do our best not to interfere with any arrangements the family might have.
Over the course of several months, scientists will examine your brain tissue for evidence of injury, TBI, CTE, and any other disorders. Clinicians will interview members of your family designated by your next of kin to learn your medical, sports, and military history. Clinical and pathological results will be reviewed by a team of doctors and researchers, who will arrive at a consensus diagnosis. Finally, together with our doctors, we will personally communicate the results to your next of kin via conference call.

CTE is a global problem, but due to a lack of brain tissue, few researchers outside the United States were able to study this devastating disease. The Concussion Legacy Foundation founded the CLF Global Brain Bank to activate scientists from every corner of the globe in the fight against CTE. Led by some of the world’s greatest researchers on brain trauma and CTE, the CLF Global Brain Bank has collaborators in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with plans for future growth. For more information about the CLF Global Brain Bank and the importance of brain donation around the world, visit our brain banks page.

After you pledge to donate your brain, you will receive a virtual brain donor card. Share the donor card and brochure with your family and let them know of your wishes.
In the event of your passing, your next of kin will follow instructions on your brain donor card to call the 24-hour emergency donation pager at 647.535.2021. The donation coordinator will arrange the tissue collecting by a local diener near the locality where the donor has died. The donation process is a time-sensitive matter; if the brain bank team is not alerted within 48 hours the donation may not be possible. For instructions on what to do in the case of a recent or imminent death, please visit our Imminent Brain Donation page.
The next of kin is required to complete consent forms authorizing brain, spinal cord, and CSF and/or plasma donation. These will be faxed or emailed by the brain donation coordinator.
Due to the natural evolution of research, we cannot guarantee in advance that the Canadian Concussion Centre will be able to accept your donation. The Brain Donation coordinator will make that determination based on the current inclusion criteria at the time of death. As of 2025, the Canadian Concussion Centre needs brain donations from current and retired professional and amateur athletes as well as members of the public who have suffered repeated concussions, including military Veterans. However, research needs and research funding evolve, and we cannot predict future criteria.

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