About Brain Donation Program

A noble spirit of sharing—a precious gift for the next generation.

So that the pain you and your family have endured from brain disease may never again be suffered by countless others, please give your attention to post-mortem brain donation.

Through organ donation by a brain-dead donor, up to nine patients can be given a new lease on life. Yet in Korea, the rate of human tissue donation remains very low, and only 2% of the population has pledged to donate their organs. Brain donation lags even further behind—the very concept is still unfamiliar to many.

Unlike organ donation, brain donation is intended for research rather than transplantation. It helps brain researchers study brain diseases and find ways to treat them. The new horizons of life this may open up for us are immeasurable.

A History of Dementia Brain Banks Around the World

Beginning with Japan in 1967, countries around the world have established dementia brain banks. On average, brain banks abroad hold more than 3,000 cases of brain tissue.

So That Korean Brains May Advance the Healthy Lives of Koreans

Seoul National University Hospital holds only about 180 cases of brain tissue (as of 2025). There is still a long way to go.

We take pride in research capabilities of the highest global standard, yet there are inevitable limits to studying “the Korean brain” itself. Without the brain, we could not feel, think, or act in the ways that make us human.

Many of the challenges we face—dementia, Parkinson's disease, stroke, mental disorders, and more— originate in brain disease. Brain donation will contribute to solving these problems.