Seton Melvin is the director of the Brain Donor Program at Mount Sinai Hospital, the first of its kind in the United States that studies brains that have sustained clinically documented brain injuries. From his position, Seton Melvin has learned how important brain tissue donations are for medical research into brain disorders.
The following questions often arise about brain donation:
Q: What kinds of research are brain donations used for?
A: Much of what the medical establishment knows today about brain diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s was discovered through brain tissue research.
Q: Does a single brain donation make an impact?
A: One brain can provide tissue samples for hundreds of research projects. Every donation is a big step toward the understanding of brain conditions.
Q: Can anyone become a brain donor?
A: The thrust of brain research comes from the brains of donors affected with brain conditions. However, healthy brain donations are crucial as well. They serve as points of comparison for the changes that occur in damaged or diseased brains.
Seton Melvin 