Recognized as a premier biorepository for Alzheimer’s disease research, the Bryan Brain Bank and Biorepository provides investigators worldwide with access to longitudinal clinical data, high quality biospecimens, and histology services to support and advance basic and clinical research.

Current Recruitment

The Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) Autopsy and Brain Donation (ABD) program coordinates tissue retrieval from a variety of different sources, including participants of the ADRC Memory and Aging Study (MAS), the Bryan ADRC legacy cohort, and special autopsies from participants from underrepresented backgrounds or with unique genetic mutations or atypical clinical presentations. Skilled technicians of the Duke University Department of Pathology Autopsy Service perform the brain retrieval. The tissue is carefully preserved, meticulously catalogued, and stored in the Brain Bank and Biorepository.

Brain Bank Resources

The Brain Bank collection includes over 1200 brain tissue (including 988 with fresh frozen tissue) and 500 postmortem CSF samples from 806 participants with AD, 215 with other neurologic diseases (Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etc.), and 234 healthy controls.

Brain Bank Services

As part of the NIH-funded Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, it is our mission to share our resources and facilitate collaborations aimed at improving diagnosis and care for all people with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. Over the past 10 years, the Brain Bank has distributed over 2400 frozen and 600 formalin-fixed brain samples, 1600 slides, and 400 CSF samples to 110 investigators worldwide. The Brain Bank also provides histology and immunohistochemistry services, as well as consultation for investigators utilizing Brain Bank specimens for AD research. Investigators can request access to tissue and services through the Duke/UNC ADRC Resource Request portal. Tissue requests may be subject to review by the ADRC Executive Committee for scientific merit and resource availability.