About the Program

The Body Donor Program, coordinated through the Office of Education at Washington University School of Medicine, accepts whole-body anatomical donations on an ongoing basis.

The School of Medicine appreciates the importance of gifts made by program participants and their families. Through this generosity, participants directly contribute to the advancement of medical education and biomedical research.

Anatomical donations are critical to helping medical students, resident physicians, clinical fellows and other trainees gain in-depth understanding of the human anatomy, an important foundation for the delivery of excellent patient care. Gifts made to the program also empower vital biomedical research aimed at improving human health.

Learn about becoming a donor
  • Medical students in white coats stand before a bookcase holding a sign that reads "Filled with gratitude for your generosity"
  • Medical students examine a specimen
  • medical students in scrubs and face mask in an anatomy lab
  • Krikor Dikranian, MD, PhD, speaks to medical students in anatomy lab

New procedures related to COVID-19

Effective immediately, the Gift of Body Donor Program will now consider accepting donors who have recovered from COVID. The revised acceptance criteria may be found under the Funeral Director page along with the updated Donor Evaluation form.

See the School of Medicine’s COVID-19 resources and policies »

A letter from the Director

Amy Bauernfeind

Thank you for your interest in donating your body to Washington University School of Medicine. The Body Donation Program, which is coordinated through the Office of Education at Washington University, allows individuals to provide an important and very personal gift to the School of Medicine.

Body donation serves a vital role and allows medical students, allied health professionals, and physicians in training to gain the detailed knowledge of human anatomy that is essential in order to deliver the best quality care to their patients. All donor tissue is used to teach anatomy in the classroom and surgical settings. Gifts made to the program also allow clinician-scientists, whose ultimate goal is to assist in understanding mechanisms affecting human health and disease, to conduct vital research.

—Amy Bauernfeind, PhD

Contact the Program

To learn more about the Body Donor Program at Washington University School of Medicine, please contact:

Dan Loesche

Manager of Gift of Body Donor Program
Embalmer
Funeral Director

Ryan Zwyer

Staff Assistant Embalmer
Funeral Director

Red telephone receiver icon

1 (314) 362-3599 (Dan)
1 (314) 362-3597 (Ryan)
1 (855) 502-7894 (toll free)

Red question mark in a conversation bubble icon

bodydonorprogram@wustl.edu

Meet Dan and Ryan

News highlights