Why Donate Your Brain to the Canadian Concussion Centre?
The Canadian Concussion Centre (CCC)is located at the Krembil Brain Institute (KBI), which is one of the largest clinical and neuroscience research centres in North America.
The KBI has the highest density of brain-related research in Canada and includes investigations into molecular and cellular neurobiology to understand the basis of neurological disorders and research into new treatments.
Who Can Donate?
The Canadian Concussion Centre welcomes brain donations from current and retired professional and amateur athletes, and some members of the public, such as veterans who have suffered concussions or blast injuries. Living donors are asked to donate their brains upon death to the CCC for analysis.
Family members of recently deceased athletes can also donate their loved one's brain and spinal cord on their behalf after death, to be examined for evidence of brain damage from concussions.
The privacy of our donors is very important to us. All donor information is kept confidential unless the patient or family expresses an interest in disclosing autopsy results publicly, which can be facilitated through our Public Affairs team.
Contact Us
Brain donors or their family members should contact: Nusrat Sadia, Clinical Research Assistant, by email at
nusrat.sadia@uhn.ca.
Ideally, the autopsy should be performed within 1-2 days of death, and if death occurs more than 200 km away from Toronto, the brain and spinal cord should be removed at the nearest hospital or coroners' morgue by an experienced person and preserved in the standard way for transport to us.
In an emergency brain donation situation, please call 647 535 2021 and notify one of the following physicians (The Study Principal Investigators) and the brain donation team immediately in the event of death of the donor, as the research will be compromised if the autopsy is unduly delayed.
Please note that communication via e-mail is not absolutely secure. Thus, please do not communicate personal sensitive information via e-mail.
News About Brain Donation
Angelo Mosca was a legendary, long-time football player in the Canadian Football League and a long-time professional wrestler who passed away at the age of 84 on November 6, 2021.
Angelo, in the later years of his life, was a willing participant in the Canadian Concussion Research study and agreed to donate his brain to the Canadian Concussion Center in Toronto to continue to support research into the effects of repeated head injuries on athletes.
In a statement released by the Mosca family, they explained their decision to donate his brain:
"As a family, we know that Angelo, Ang, Dad had suffered many concussions throughout his long football and wrestling career, some known and many not. We wanted to fulfill his living declaration and wishes to do what he could to help researchers better understand the impact of these injuries so donated his brain to the study. The results of the autopsy provided some closure for our family, and we could finally understand the cause of some of the changes we had observed in him. We are grateful for the support and the valuable work and research the Canadian Concussion Center has done and continues to do. We hope that by donating his brain, Dad and we as a family can contribute to their efforts to improve the safety of sports and prevent others from experiencing similar struggles that he did in his later years."
The Canadian Concussion Centre is a leading research institution focused on diagnosing, managing, and preventing concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. Through their research, they aim to improve the lives of those affected by these injuries and inform policies and practices related to sports safety.
The generous gift of brain donation made by Angelo Mosca and his family will help researchers better understand the long-term effects of head injuries on athletes and discover strategies to minimize the risks associated with sports.
