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Our understanding of autism today is based largely
on the generosity and foresight of families, who during a very difficult
time in their lives when a family member has died, made the decision
to donate the brain for research. You can make a difference in autism
spectrum research by knowing more about this program.
The Research
The Autism Tissue Program has a world-wide network
of researchers seeking to understand how and why the brain is different.
The brain is the organ that is expressing the behaviors that we
identify with autism (repetitive and restricted activities, lack
of communication and social skills) – no matter what the cause.
Brain tissue is vital because it is the only way to see individual
brain cells and read the DNA and genetic messages to get a better
understanding of autism. Use of post-mortem tissues for histological
and biochemical methods has in the past been of crucial importance
to understand and developing treatment options in many CNS disorders.
Hope and Trust
 Brain
tissue donation reflects an individual’s or family’s
decision to make the choice to benefit others and honors the complex
and challenging life of the affected donors. The stewardship of
this gift is a serious duty and depends on dedicated collaboration
of parents, advocates, governmental agencies and scientists. We
are forever grateful to those whose lives were challenged by autism
or those family members or other caring individuals who bequeathed
to the rest of us their Gift of Hope.
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Brain
Tissue Donation
The Autism Tissue Program is a campaign to understand
and treat a whole spectrum of pervasive developmental disorders;
and the sad fact is that the most precious tissue for research will
be from our youngest children who die unexpectedly. Because of the
high hereditability of autism spectrum disorders, we encourage all
family members to donate. Researchers need brain tissue from "normal
controls," i.e. people who are neither autistic nor related
to people with autism, to compare to tissue from affected individuals
and their families members.
To avoid undue financial burden on families, the Autism Tissue
Program assumes the any additional cost of tissue recovery.
How to Donate
Talk about this with your family and sign up with
us on this site. If a death occurs, call, or provide medical professionals
with, the 24-hour number for the Autism Tissue Program, 1-877-333-0999,
for donation to the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center to proceed.
Organ donor programs do not automatically recover brain tissue so
your consent and the call are necessary.
Tissue Advisory Board
Quality research depends on decisions about the best
use of the precious tissue that is donated. To ensure that these
decisions are made by the leading experts in the neuroscience community,
a Tissue Advisory Board is in place. This Board is comprised of
experts with established track records indicating commitment to
scientific inquiry and demonstrated expertise in studies of the
brain and brain tissue such as molecular genetics, neuroimmunocytology
neuroanatomy, neuropathology, neuroimaging and pharmacogenetics.
Please call us at 1-877-333-0999 if you have questions or read
the Frequently Asked Questions and Religious Perspectives about
brain donation.
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Director of Brain Resources and Data:
Jane Pickett, Ph.D. Jane has over 10 years experience serving
as coordinator of Developmental Disability services in Oregon where
she participated on the Early Intervention team, developed/monitored
state funded programs for all age groups, provided crisis management
and facilitated parent support groups. Clinically, she has been
a community coordinator for services to the chronically mentally
ill and held the post of Associate Professor and Director of the
Department of Counseling and Testing at Oregon Institute of Technology
where she taught biopsychology, assisted students with disabilities
who required physical and academic accommodations and coordinated
the Institute’s first Technology Fair in 1993, encouraging mechanical
engineering and computer science students to address the varied
technological needs of disabled persons. Her research background
includes published studies in molecular and behavioral genetics,
neuropeptide biosynthesis, cellular and developmental processes
and, before joining the Autism Tissue Program, the role of stress,
gender and hormones at Princeton University.
Family Clinical Coordinator: Carolyn Komich
Hare, M.S., serves as a Family Clinical Coordinator to the Autism
Tissue Program, arranging a visit with the family after a donation
to learn more about the individual. She feels honored to meet the
families who have made this special contribution and finds serving
as a consultant complimentary to her work as founder and director
of AHEADD, a program developed (in cooperation with Equal Opportunity
Services of Carnegie Mellon University) to assist students with
Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in higher education. AHEADD
(Achieving in Higher Education with Autism/Developmental Disabilities)
was established for the purpose of bridging the gap between public
school services and the traditional college accommodations structure
and was highlighted in the Chronicles of Higher Education in 2004
as an outstanding program. Carolyn lives with her husband in Pittsburgh,
PA and can be reached at 1-877-333-0999 or by email: 