Imagine walking into a room filled with shelves upon shelves of human brains—each one a vault of memories, thoughts, and emotions.
It sounds like something out of a sci-fi thriller, but this is the reality inside the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC)—the world’s largest brain bank.
Housing over 2,000 human brains, this facility plays a crucial role in unlocking the secrets of the mind, studying neurological diseases, and pushing the boundaries of neuroscience.
But why do we need so many human brains?
What happens inside these walls that make it so valuable to the future of medicine?
The answer lies in the urgent need for research into disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, PTSD, and even depression.
Each brain stored here offers a unique piece of the puzzle, helping scientists decode what makes the human brain tick—and what happens when it fails.
If you’ve ever wondered how scientists study mental illness, memory loss, or even consciousness itself, this brain bank holds the key.
But what goes on behind the scenes? How do these brains end up here, and who are the people preserving them? Let’s step inside.
Preserving the Brain
When a donor passes away, the countdown begins.
Brain tissue starts deteriorating quickly after death, and researchers have a 24-hour window to preserve it in its most pristine state.
That’s where Jorge Tejada, the assistant director of operations at HBTRC, comes in.
Tejada and his team must work against the clock, securing permission from the next of kin, locating a pathologist, and ensuring the brain is extracted with minimal damage.
“We need to have the whole brain intact, with very little damage,” Tejada told New Scientist.
The extraction process is delicate.
Unlike the heart or lungs, which have more structural integrity, brain tissue is incredibly soft and fragile.
One wrong move, and it could be compromised beyond use. Once removed, the brain is immediately weighed and divided into two halves:
- One half is frozen for DNA analysis and genetic research.
- The other half is placed in formalin, a preservation fluid that allows scientists to study its structure, protein composition, and physical abnormalities.
Each brain holds vital clues about neurological diseases.
For instance, Alzheimer’s patients often show shrinkage in the hippocampus, the region responsible for memory.
Schizophrenia patients may have abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex.
The more samples researchers have, the better they can identify patterns, discover treatments, and possibly even find cures.
A Surprising Twist
While brain donation is crucial to science, it faces a surprising obstacle: healthy brains are just as valuable as diseased ones, but far fewer people think to donate them.
Most brain banks receive brains from individuals who suffered from neurological conditions, which makes sense for disease research.
However, to understand what truly goes wrong in conditions like Parkinson’s or PTSD, scientists need healthy brains as a baseline for comparison.
The irony? It’s easier to get a brain with Alzheimer’s than it is to get one from a perfectly healthy person.
This shortage slows down research and makes it harder to pinpoint the earliest changes that lead to neurodegenerative diseases.
The ethical dilemmas of brain banking also raise questions. Unlike donating organs like kidneys or hearts, donating a brain isn’t widely discussed.
Many families are unaware of the process, and in some cultures, the idea of removing the brain after death can be unsettling.
However, those who do choose to donate play a vital role in shaping the future of neuroscience.
The Future of Brain Research
Since opening in 1978, HBTRC has processed over 9,000 brains, shipping samples to researchers around the world.
Some of the most in-demand brain regions include the hippocampus, crucial for memory and spatial navigation, and the prefrontal cortex, which governs decision-making and personality.
But what does the future hold for brain research?
With advancements in AI-driven analysis, 3D brain mapping, and personalized medicine, scientists hope to predict and prevent neurological diseases before they start.
By analyzing thousands of donated brains, they can build a detailed blueprint of human cognition, paving the way for groundbreaking treatments.
For Tejada, working with these preserved minds is more than just a job—it’s a lifelong mission.
“When you have that brain in your hands,” he says, “you realize: this is everything that made a person who they were.
Every thought, every dream, every moment of their life. And now, even after death, they are helping us unlock the mysteries of the mind.”
It’s a perspective that changes how we think about life—and what we leave behind.
