Our program is not enrolling new donors at this time. There is no change to the status of or procedures for previously enrolled and confirmed donors. When a donor passes, next of kin should contact the Body Donation Program immediately at 212-263-5378 for further instructions.

Program Details

Studying the human body is an invaluable and indispensable part of medical education. At NYU Grossman School of Medicine, we are grateful for the generous donations we receive through our Body Donation Program, which make human-anatomy training possible for our medical students.

Whole-body donations are important for educating future generations of physicians, researching diseases and disorders, and developing more effective treatments. Each donation is a lasting contribution to medical science and a service to humanity.

Any person of sound mind who is 18 years of age or older may donate his or her body to NYU Grossman School of Medicine by completing the Body Donation Form. Prospective donors should include information about making an anatomical donation in their will. Further, because there is a limited window of time—48 hours—for accepting a body after death, donors should inform family members of their wishes. Learn more about the body donation procedure.

We do not offer payment for body donations. However, we do assume responsibility for the cost of transporting the body to an NYU Grossman School of Medicine–designated funeral home if the death occurs within either the New York City limits or Nassau County, cremating the body after study or research is completed, and returning the remains to next of kin for donors who live in New York City or on Long Island.

When a donor dies, family members should contact the Body Donation Program immediately at 212-263-5378. Office hours are 9:00AM to 4:00PM, Monday through Friday.

Outside of business hours, our telephone answering service has instructions to provide contact information for an NYU Grossman School of Medicine–affiliated funeral director. The funeral director makes arrangements to transport the body, which is embalmed, prepared, and stored until it is needed for teaching purposes.

Conditions Affecting Donor Eligibility

A donated body may be unsuitable for teaching or educational purposes if an autopsy or embalming was performed. Further, certain infectious diseases, and conditions such as obesity or extremely low weight may also affect donor eligibility.

All donations are evaluated at the time of death to determine suitability for teaching and research purposes. Representatives from the Body Donation Program can provide additional information about other conditions that may affect suitability.

Final Disposition

Study of the body is completed within a period of approximately 24 months, and the donor’s remains are cremated at the expense of the Body Donation Program.

The ashes are then returned to the donor’s family or other designated recipient or scattered at the Garden of Remembrance at Rosedale and Rosehill Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey, according to the donor or next of kin’s instructions.

At the end of each academic year, NYU Grossman School of Medicine holds a memorial service in honor of the donors.

For more information about making an anatomical donation, contact the Body Donation Program at body.donation@nyulangone.org or at 212-263-5378. You can also browse frequently asked questions about the Body Donation Program.

The Body Donation Program is located in NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Office of Medical Education at 550 First Avenue, MS G52, in the Medical Science Building.