About the Program
The Body Donor Program coordinated through the Department of Neuroscience 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.
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
Thank you for your interest in donating your body to Washington University School of Medicine. The Body Donation Program, which is coordinated through the Department of Neuroscience 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
1 (314) 362-3599 (Dan)
1 (314) 362-3597 (Ryan)
1 (855) 502-7894 (toll free)
News highlights
Medical students, faculty honor body donors (Links to an external site)
Medical students honor body donors (Links to an external site)
