Brain Bank Network India Initiative

AIIMS Bhubaneswar Brain Bank

In service of science, preserving the human brain.

A satellite brain bank funded by ICMR, committed to preserving high-quality human brain tissue and supporting discoveries in neuroscience, diagnosis, treatment, and public education.

Donate Brain Visit Museum

2021

HBTR established

ICMR

Funded network initiative

AIIMS

Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Donation

Contribute through brain donation

Support research into neurological disorders and help build a national resource for future discoveries.

Museum

Visit the Human Brain Museum

Explore brain anatomy, neurological disease, and the value of donation through guided educational visits.

Research

Explore and learn

Access brain tissue resources, teaching modules, and educational material for neuroscience learning.

About Us

Bridging donors and discovery.

The AIIMS Bhubaneswar Human Brain Tissue Repository was established in the Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine to preserve donated brain tissue with care, respect, and scientific rigor.

The repository supports research into Parkinson's disease, dementia, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, infections, and other neurological conditions that affect millions of lives.

Our mission: "Advancing Neuroscience Through the Preservation of Human Brain Tissue" — be part of the journey to help unravel the brain's mysteries and advance medicine for generations to come.

Objective 1

Establish satellite brain banks in India to promote neuroscience research.

Objective 2

Standardize protocols for collection, freezing, safety, quality control, ethics, and neuropathological diagnosis.

Objective 3

Build capacity through workshops and short-term training in biobanking practices.

Objective 4

Develop a connected national database with NIMHANS as the nodal centre.

Objective 5

Support transparent tissue and fluid exchange in line with ICMR biomedical research guidance.

Objective 6

Create satellite brain museums as national resources for medical and public education.

Our Collaborations

Partnering for greater impact.

We are proud to collaborate with two leading institutions in neuroscience research under the Brain Bank Network India Initiative.

NIMHANS

National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences

Bengaluru, Karnataka

Nodal Centre — Brain Bank Network India Initiative

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PGIMER

Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research

Chandigarh

Partner Institute — Neurological Research & Clinical Insights

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Future Perspectives

A focused platform for neuroscience, neuropathology, and education.

Neurodegenerative Diseases

Mechanistic links behind dementia and aging.
Spatial transcriptomic atlas of human brain aging in the Indian population.
Serological diagnostic tests for central nervous system infections.

Molecular Biology

Transcriptomic analysis of human rabies cases.
Molecular profiling of hemorrhagic stroke.
cDNA and DNA bank development for neurological research.

Infections

Neuropathological evaluation of tubercular meningitis.
Immune profiling in neuroinfections and epilepsy.
Registries and databases for policy planning.

Stem Cell Biology

Mapping of resting stem cell pool in the human brain at different ages.
Response of resting stem cells following head injury and their reparative potential.
Identifying tumor stem cells in human brain tumors.

Teaching and Imaging

Museum and teaching sets for undergraduate and postgraduate training.
MRI correlation for autopsy-derived human brain specimens.
Methods to reduce freezing artefacts in histological processing.

Networking

Enroll and develop biobanks across India by networking with likeminded medical colleagues.
Popularize autopsy service as a vital teaching activity for medical students.

Donate

Pledge to donate your brain.

Brain donation can help uncover the mysteries of brain and mind. Every donation becomes a valuable resource for diagnosis, better treatments, prevention, and future scientific progress.

Brain Bank Coordinator

Dr. Suvendu Purkait, Project Investigator

+91 96540 45753

Working hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Donation process

1 Discuss the decision with family members and inform care providers.
2 At the time of impending death or death, call the Brain Bank coordinator during working hours.
3 Keep the donor's photo ID, death certificate, medical records, and next-of-kin details ready.
4 The legal next-of-kin completes consent after document review.
5 Post-mortem processing is completed with care, and the body is returned to the family.
6 The family receives acknowledgement, certificate of donation, and the final post-mortem report.

Human Brain Museum

Sow the seeds of neuroscience.

The Human Brain Museum at AIIMS Bhubaneswar introduces visitors to brain anatomy, neurological disorders, and the importance of brain tissue donation for scientific research.

School and college group visits are arranged by appointment. Students of grade 8 and above are eligible for museum visits, with batch sizes managed for a guided experience.

Visit information

Book by email with institute details, course or class, visitor count, and accompanying teacher contacts.
Send the student list on institutional letterhead, signed by the head of the institute.
Museum visits are not scheduled on second Saturdays, Sundays, or public holidays. All Saturdays and Wednesday afternoons are reserved for the general public.
Group size should generally not exceed 40 visitors including teachers.
If two schools book the same slot, priority is on a first-come-first-served basis.

Book a Museum Visit

Schedule your group visit.

Fill in the form to request an appointment for your school or institution. Our team will confirm details and share instructions.

Research and Education

Training, tissue quality, and translational neuroscience.

The repository supports research into tissue quality, post-mortem interval, molecular integrity, cerebral small vessel disease, and practical training for pathology residents.

Effect of post-mortem interval on histopathological and immunohistochemical assessment.

Effect of post-mortem interval on DNA and RNA integrity.

qRT-PCR assessment of Cytochrome C1 regions.

Pathobiology of cerebral small vessel disease and molecular markers related to ferroptosis.

Multimodal evaluation of RNA integrity and tissue quality in post-mortem brain tissue.

Resident training in brain autopsy, anatomical dissection, histopathology, and tissue storage.

Faculty and Staff