Everything You Should Know About Donating Your Body to Research

Pam Poulakos and Irene Hombs have no intention of being laid to rest in a traditional burial. They’ve considered their final options thoroughly, and in the end, their choice is to contribute to something greater than themselves.

Their decision is to donate their remains to science.

“I’d much prefer to be used for medical studies than to be buried,” says Poulakos, 64, in an interview with Mytour. “Since we won’t be using our bodies any longer, it’s better that they serve whatever purpose they can.”

The individuals in question here are the staff and clients of MedCure, a company based in Portland, Oregon. MedCure is one of just seven non-transplant tissue banks in the U.S. accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks. These facilities oversee the donation of whole bodies (distinct from organ donations) and ensure that they are placed in the hands of scientists and healthcare professionals. As one of the largest organizations of its kind, MedCure has been operating since 2005, facilitating the donation of approximately 10,000 body parts annually to researchers.

These generous donors contribute to saving lives. Medical students examine cadavers to learn human anatomy. Researchers study diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Surgeons refine techniques, like face transplants, using cadavers. Even surgical robots have progressed thanks to the use of bodies.

However, cadavers are in short supply: Approximately 20,000 Americans donate their bodies to science each year, making up less than 1 percent of the 2.7 million people who pass away annually. Simply put, the demand for donations far outstrips the available supply.

Heidi Kayser, MedCure's director of donor education and outreach, notes that this scarcity is partly due to the fact that body donation programs are less well-known than organ donation programs. "Many people want to help; they just need to be aware that this is an option," she tells Mytour.

Donating to a non-transplant tissue bank such as MedCure is just one way to contribute your body to science. While MedCure operates as a for-profit company, nonprofit tissue banks offer another avenue. Many universities and medical institutions across the country also accept "anatomical gifts" for research and educational purposes. Additionally, the renowned "Body Farm" in Tennessee allows forensic scientists to study the decomposition of human remains.

In brief, there are many ways you can continue to contribute—even after death.

How were cadavers utilized in the past?

Though body donation programs are relatively new, cadavers have served many purposes since ancient times—although, for much of history, the individuals who became donors likely didn't volunteer willingly.

According to Mary Roach, author of the 2003 book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, King Ptolemy I, the ruler of ancient Egypt, was the first leader to permit the dissection of human bodies. Although mummification was occurring for religious reasons at the time, dissection was pursued purely for scientific purposes—to understand human anatomy. Early doctors practiced on the bodies of executed criminals, and in a more grisly account, Greek physician Herophilus is said to have performed dissections on living criminals.

The practice of dissecting executed criminals was also widespread in Europe from the 14th to the early 19th centuries. However, due to a lack of sufficient executions to provide medical experts with a steady supply of bodies for research and education, grave robbing became a profitable underground activity. In Great Britain and America, body snatchers could be hired for a fee—and occasionally, the scientists themselves resorted to digging. “Extreme measures ensued,” Roach writes in Stiff. “It wasn’t uncommon for an anatomist to carry freshly deceased family members to the dissecting table before dropping them off at the churchyard.”

The decline of body snatching began after the British government passed the Anatomy Act of 1832, which allowed medical schools to use the unclaimed bodies of people who died in prisons or workhouses. Still, the idea of donating one's body to science remained highly controversial. At best, it was seen as taboo; at worst, it was thought to prevent resurrection. Many Christians at the time believed that dissected bodies couldn’t be brought back to life, and thus believers would be denied the chance of resurrection.

Some historians argue that English philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), a supporter of the Anatomy Act, was the first person to will his body to science. Bentham, who objected to paying burial fees to the Church of England, which he deemed “irredeemably corrupt,” requested in his will that his body be turned into an "auto-icon"—essentially, a preserved and dressed skeleton. His preserved body is now displayed at University College London, where Bentham even arranged for a public dissection attended by prominent scholars.

The military has also had a significant role in the use of cadavers. In the early 1800s, both the French and Germans used human bodies to test weapons and evaluate the damage. Later, in 1893, U.S. Army surgeon Louis La Garde was instructed to use corpses to test a new .30-caliber Springfield rifle. “The bodies were to be suspended from a tackle in the firing range, shot at in multiple locations and with different charges (to simulate varying distances), and then autopsied,” Roach writes.

In the 20th century, automobile manufacturers began using human bodies in their product testing. This practice began in the 1950s, when many car manufacturers believed it was impossible to make severe crashes survivable. An experiment conducted by Wayne State University researchers challenged that assumption. The researchers dropped a body down an elevator shaft to study its response to blunt force trauma and discovered that the human body is surprisingly resilient. For example, a human head can endure up to 1.5 tons of force for a brief moment without injury. This breakthrough led to similar tests, and by 1995, Wayne State researcher Albert King estimated that using cadavers in car safety experiments saved 8,500 lives annually.

Some car manufacturers and military divisions still use human bodies, rather than dummies, in crash tests. “A lot of safety measures need testing,” Roach tells Mytour. “You want to ensure a car is safe for its passengers, that a car seat or automatic window won’t injure someone, or that a helmet will protect the head. You can’t just hand someone a product and say, ‘Let’s see how this works for you.’”

However, Roach points out that using real bodies in experiments is costly and logistically challenging—“You can’t just go to Cadavers R Us and pick one up on the same day”—so most car manufacturers try to avoid it. Despite this, cadavers are still sometimes used in trauma tests, especially by the military, as they provide more accurate results for certain impacts, such as battlefield wounds.

Of course, the use of bodies in military and industrial applications is relatively rare. The most common uses for donated bodies remain in medical research and surgical training. The ongoing dissection of cadavers continues to save lives and improve the quality of healthcare for living patients.

What is the process for donating your body to science, and how can you sign up?

Non-transplant tissue banks are prohibited from selling organs for transplant. However, they are allowed to sell entire bodies or other human parts for research or educational use.

To meet these needs, companies require willing donors. Here’s how the donation process works, using MedCure as an example: Individuals can pre-register with MedCure while still alive, or their attorney or next of kin can arrange the donation after death. After completing an online form expressing interest, the donor will receive a welcome packet by mail, detailing the entire process and containing consent forms that need to be completed. After this, the donor does not need to take any further action until they pass away or enter hospice care.

When the time comes, MedCure conducts a medical screening and background check for risky behaviors to ensure eligibility for donation. Individuals with a history of intravenous drug use or recent incarceration are excluded due to higher risks of disease transmission. If a person’s application is declined, the applicant or an authorized person will be informed of the reason they cannot donate.

Once an accepted donor passes away, MedCure arranges to collect the body from most states at no charge to the donor or their family. The exceptions include New Jersey, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Arkansas, where stricter state regulations govern the transport of unembalmed bodies. In these states, individuals who wish to donate can opt for a program closer to home. Blood samples are also sent to a lab to check for infectious diseases like HIV or Hepatitis B and C, which could pose a risk to researchers.

The next phase is determining the most suitable research project for the body. According to Rachel Mulligan, MedCure’s director of laboratory operations, robotics are currently driving the body donation sector. New surgical robots are frequently developed, and some medical devices undergo testing on cadavers to meet FDA safety standards. Additionally, orthopedic engineers and researchers often use cadavers to test the fit of their implants. Most of the research takes place in MedCure’s private labs across the country, though the company occasionally delivers specimens to recipients like universities.

Other organizations, such as the Memphis-based non-profit Medical Education & Research Institute (MERI), offer similar services. MERI provides door-to-door delivery and temperature-controlled transportation to preserve human tissue. Similarly, the non-profit United Tissue Network in Norman, Oklahoma, collaborates with specialized shipping services to transport tissue. Generally, many of these tissue banks—whether for-profit or non-profit—allow donors to directly register with the organization.

Critics of the industry argue that it is lightly regulated, with no federal law governing the operations of these businesses. Some body brokers have been embroiled in scandals involving poor quality control or failure to return the cremated remains to families. In November 2017, amid increased scrutiny of the industry, MedCure’s offices were raided by the FBI, though no charges have been filed.

Kayser explains that the FBI raid occurred because the agency was "investigating the industry as a whole." She pointed to the recent case of Arthur Rathburn, a Michigan cadaver dealer who was sentenced to prison last year for renting and selling infected body parts.

"[Rathburn] had several organizations he tried to procure from. While MedCure was not one of them, our name did appear in his files," Kayser shared with Mytour.

It's important to note that many accredited tissue banks object to being grouped with unaccredited "body brokers." Instead, they stress that they provide a service: connecting clients with cadavers that meet the necessary criteria for critical research purposes.

What happens to the bodies once they’re donated?

While the team at MedCure typically doesn’t learn the specifics of how their clients use the cadavers, they occasionally hear inspiring stories. For instance, one client was a surgeon who used donated bodies to perfect a new procedure for transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR)—a minimally invasive method that involves making an incision, often in the leg, and using a catheter to insert the heart valve replacement into the chest cavity. After practicing sufficiently, the surgeon was able to treat a patient who was considered too high-risk for open-heart surgery. The TAVR procedure was a success, saving the patient’s life. "That’s what excites us and keeps us motivated," says Mulligan.

Once a cadaver has served its purpose—whether in one of MedCure's own laboratories or in a vetted facility like a university lab—MedCure retrieves the body and arranges for its cremation. Families are given the option to either receive the ashes or have them scattered at sea, all at no cost. For many, the savings make body donation an appealing choice. Traditional cremation services typically cost over $600, and conventional funerals, including burial, average around $7,000.

"Cremation is becoming more popular, but it's still quite costly," says Kayser, explaining that for many people, the decision to donate their bodies is driven by both financial considerations and a desire to contribute to society. "Whole body donation costs nothing for the donor, and it advances medical research. Many people want to leave a legacy, to know they didn’t die in vain."

Out of the seven accredited non-transplant tissue banks in the U.S., most offer free cremation and shipping. MERI’s partner, Genesis, even provides the option of having the donor's ashes interred in a mausoleum in Memphis.

This process can also ease the burden of organizing a traditional funeral, especially considering that embalmed bodies cannot be donated for whole body programs. Families who wish to hold a memorial service have several weeks to arrange it while they await the return of the donor's cremated remains.

For many donors, this approach offers peace of mind, knowing they won't be leaving a financial burden on their loved ones after their passing. Poulakos and Hombs, who pre-registered as donors and encouraged other family members to do the same, found this to be a major motivation. "It's a terrible thing when someone dies,” Poulakos says. “But when you make that one call, it’s taken care of, and done with dignity."

Is it possible to donate my body to a university instead?

For those interested in donating their bodies to science but hesitant to go through a company, university donation programs are another solid option. Many universities across the United States—such as Harvard, Columbia, and Yale—offer “willed body” or “anatomical gift” programs. While the process and eligibility criteria for donation are similar to those of non-transplant tissue banks, university programs may not provide the same range of services as for-profit companies, like free cremation and transport of the body and ashes.

A key distinction is that, instead of supporting research, your donation would help train future medical professionals, including surgeons, dentists, anesthesiologists, radiologists, and others, by teaching them about human anatomy. As Columbia University notes on its website, "Nothing equals the human body for teaching both normal and abnormal anatomy. This experience cannot be replaced with books or 3D computer programs."

However, the experience is far from sterile or detached. At Yale, students are encouraged to refer to the body they are studying as a "donor" rather than a "cadaver." Many universities, including Columbia and Yale, also hold annual memorial services to honor the donors who have contributed to advancing medical education.

Both the families of the donors and the students are invited to these memorial services, with some students even offering personal tributes in the form of speeches or songs. Roach, while writing *Stiff*, attended one of these memorials and found it to be a deeply emotional event. "Students expressed their gratitude toward the bodies they had worked with, some even composing songs or poems. It was profoundly moving," she recalls. "It made me want to donate."

She believes that the willed body programs at many universities aren’t sufficiently publicized, so most people are unaware of their existence. She sees a significant opportunity to spread the message in a fun and engaging way. "I feel like they could really do more to get the word out and encourage donations. Harvard Medical School should have a T-shirt that says ‘I’m going to Harvard,’ with ‘Harvard Willed Body Program’ on the back," she humorously suggests. "They should own it."

Is it possible to donate my body to the 'Body Farm'?

At first, the idea of being left to decompose in a field might not seem like a dignified final resting place, but the critical research being conducted at the University of Tennessee’s Body Farm—officially called the Anthropology Research Facility—is enough to attract thousands of pre-registered donors. To date, approximately 5000 people have signed up.

At the Body Farm, bodies are allowed to naturally decompose in various conditions—shallow graves, plastic bags, and sometimes even a car trunk. While it might resemble a crime scene, the ultimate goal is to help law enforcement bring perpetrators to justice. As Roach writes in *Stiff*, "Pretty much anything a killer might do to dispose of a dead body, the researchers at UT have done as well."

The research at the Body Farm enables students and law enforcement professionals to observe the human body in various stages of decomposition. Biological indicators—such as levels of bloating, decomposition, specific isotopes, and the presence of flies and beetles—help to determine how long a person has been deceased. One recent study, for example, investigates how fat in bones breaks down over time, providing valuable insights to investigators on determining the time of death.

When it was established by anthropologist Bill Bass in the 1980s, the Body Farm was the first human decomposition center of its kind in the world. Today, there are at least eight similar body farms across the U.S., as reported by Lee Meadows Jantz, associate director of the Forensic Anthropology Center, which houses the original Body Farm at the University of Tennessee.

Upon receiving a donated body, the center conducts thorough documentation: photographing it, noting any scars or tattoos, and recording its weight and measurements. Blood, hair, and fingernail samples are taken for future research purposes, and the body is stored in a cooler until it's required for a project. When it's brought outdoors, the body is left to decompose naturally until only the bones remain. And yes, as you might guess, the odor is quite strong. "I've been doing this for over 30 years and it still stinks," says Meadows Jantz in an interview with Mytour.

Even the bones are not wasted. They're collected and cataloged into the university’s skeletal archive, which offers valuable insight into the process of bone decay over time. The oldest bones in the collection belong to a person born in 1892.

The center typically receives around 100 cadavers each year. To begin the donation process, interested individuals simply need to fill out the forms available online. Many donors are intrigued by the concept of the Body Farm and want to contribute in any way they can, according to Meadows Jantz. “I actually met with two of our pre-registered donors [last year], and I think they’re just fascinated by forensics. Both of them are retired EMTs,” she shares.

Roach, who has researched various forms of whole-body donation extensively, acknowledges that not everyone would want to decompose under the scrutiny of college students. However, she believes that contributing one's body to scientific research is a noble legacy. It is something she personally intends to pursue in the future.

“I witnessed a woman, after her death, donate her organs and save three lives. That’s a level of heroism that’s impossible to achieve while alive,” Roach explains. “When you consider your options as a deceased person: you either decompose in the ground, are cremated... or you have the chance to make a meaningful impact.”