The University of Pittsburgh is a member school of the Humanity Gifts Registry (HGR) body donation program (non-profit agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) and is a recipient of donor bodies for its various health professions programs. The Office for Oversight of Anatomic Specimens (OOAS) responds to all inquiries regarding body donation. The HGR provides the OOAS with its informational material, including donor registration forms, brochure and instructional sheet, to disseminate to interested persons. Inquiries vary and are initated by individuals, hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, social service agencies, and funeral homes on behalf of family members.
The donation of one's body upon death is a unique gift that provides a source of knowledge and training that cannot be substituted by any other means. For the donor, it is a final act of giving that extends beyond the immediate utilization of the body. It is a gift that helps to establish the foundation of our future health care professionals in learning about the intricacies of the human body. At the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, body donation is vital for physicians, nurses and allied health practitioners to better understand and master human anatomy, and for researchers to potentially advance medical treatments and procedures.
At the University of Pittsburgh, a Celebration of Remembrance memorial service typically occurs yearly with the Humanity Gifts Registry, to honor the memories of the donors and our appreciation of their selfless gift.
One of the most important responsibilities of this Office is to establish an environment of respect and dignity in the utilization of each donor body by faculty, physicians, staff, and students.
- For your information, donor forms with the informational packet prepared by the Humanity Gifts Registry is available to download from the links above.
- If you prefer to have the informational packet and donor form(s) mailed to you, please contact OOAS and specify mail the donor forms or call 412-802-8280 and leave a message with your name, address and a phone number. Phone messages are checked daily.
Additionally, if you are interested in donating specific tissue that may be utilized for research on ALS, Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias, or mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disease, there are donation opportunities offered by the following University of Pittsburgh and UPMC programs. Links to some of these programs are: