South West Dementia Brain Bank

Who we are

The South West Dementia Brain Bank (SWDBB) is a research resource of post-mortem brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid from people with dementia or other neurological conditions, as well as from people aged 55+ who were not known to have been affected by a neurological condition. Our mission is “To support dementia research that has the potential to contribute to our understanding of the underlying diseases or to be of value to those affected and their families”.

The SWDBB team consists of the Brain Bank Manager, four laboratory technicians and two research nurses. We are housed in the Learning & Research Building at Southmead Hospital and opened for the receipt of brain donations for dementia research in 1984.

The SWDBB is under the custodianship of the University of Bristol and the directorship of Professor Patrick Kehoe. It is licensed by the Human Tissue Authority and has approval from South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee to operate as a Research Tissue Bank.

The day-to-day running and co-ordination of the SWDBB are overseen by a Local Management Group comprising the SWDBB director(s), senior researchers from the University of Bristol Dementia Research Group, an independent member of the University Research Governance Team, two SWDBB technicians, at least one lay member and the SWDBB Manager. The Local Management Group reports to the SWDBB Research Governance Committee, which oversees broader strategic and research governance issues for the SWDBB. The SWDBB also reports to the University of Bristol Human Tissue Working Group.

If you have any questions about the operation of the brain bank, brain donation for research purposes, or about any of our processes don’t hesitate to get in touch using the contact details provided.

How we’re funded

Dementia brain bank funding is notoriously difficult to come by with dementia research being one of the most underfunded areas in modern medicine. Therefore, we are enormously grateful to the bodies that have funded us in the past, and especially to those who continue to support us going forward. We would very much like to acknowledge the ongoing support we receive from our longest standing funder BRACE, and to Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Alzheimer’s Society who fund Brains for Dementia Research, an incredible project that we are proud to be a part of and as of April 2026 to operate as Lead Centre for the study.

The SWDBB has previously received financial support from BRACE, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Medical Research Council (MRC) – UKRI, the North Bristol NHS Trust Research and Innovation Department and DeNDRoN.

What we do

We provide the infrastructure that mediates the donation of brain tissue and the use of that tissue and data by researchers. We register potential donors who would like to donate their brains for dementia research, ensuring that they are fully informed about the processes involved. When a donor dies, we make the arrangements for the donation, liaising with the person in a Qualifying Relationship to ensure that our donors’ last wishes can be carried out to the best of our ability. With the help of a neuropathologist we make a full post-mortem diagnosis, after which the tissue is stored in closely monitored environments until it is needed for research.

Researchers make a formal application to use the donated brain tissue or anonymised donor information in their research projects. These requests come from groups located all over the world, as well as in the UK and right here in Bristol. The amount of tissue needed for research projects is usually very small and information can be shared and used without ever running out, so a single donated brain can contribute towards hundreds of studies carried out around the world for several decades.

Every stage of this process has been thoroughly examined by the South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee and the Human Tissue Authority to ensure that our operational processes and governance are of gold standards.

Why we do it

There are 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today and this figure is set to double in the next 30 years. The cognitive decline that is associated with these diseases affects families and loved ones along with the person affected. The physical, emotional and financial toll on those affected are significant. At the moment treatment for dementia is very limited and there is no cure.

Almost all major advances in our understanding and treatment of dementia have been based on research on human brain tissue. Yet despite much progress, the precise causes of nerve cell damage in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias remain poorly understood. Existing treatments reduce symptoms for a period of time but do not stop progression of the disease. We have an urgent need for more research into dementia, and comparison of brain tissue from people who have had dementia with that from people who have not is a crucial way for us to find out why different types of dementia occur, how they differ and how they progress. Our aim at the SWDBB is to provide well characterised, quality samples of brain tissue to as many researchers as possible who have the knowledge and skills to make meaningful contributions to dementia research.

What is not well known is that the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias cannot usually be confirmed without examination of the brain after death. It is common for this examination to show that the actual illness responsible for the dementia was different from that diagnosed during life. Establishing an accurate diagnosis is critical to progress in research and treatment. Finding out the final, confirmed diagnosis is also often important to the relatives of the donor, helping families to obtain closure after the death of a loved one. Establishing an accurate diagnosis is therefore not only the foundation of all of the research activities of the Brain Bank but also a key part of the service we provide to the donor’s family and to healthcare professionals who were involved in the donor's care.

If you would like to support the brain bank

The SWDBB relies on charitable funds and academic grants to support the costs of staff, researchers, tissue storage, consumables, tissue preparation and transport. Donations to support the SWDBB are greatly appreciated and can be made in a number of ways: JustGiving - Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

University of Bristol website - choose ‘other’ from the dropdown next to ‘I would like to make a donation to:’ and type South West Dementia Brain Bank in the ‘other cause’ box.

Alternatively, if you would prefer to make a donation by cheque, please make your cheque payable to 'University of Bristol' and send to Dr Laura Palmer, Brain Bank Manager, South West Dementia Brain Bank, Learning & Research Level 1, Southmead Hospital, Bristol BS10 5NB.

Every donation is valuable, together they help us to carry on the work that we do.