Sparks Brain Preservation
A Non-profit Organization
We receive many inquiries from people living outside the United States who are interested in brain preservation with our organization. There are several options depending on what is legally and logistically feasible in your country.
Option 1: Brain Shipped to Us. The brain is removed locally by a pathologist or other medical professional, placed in liquid preservative, and shipped to our facility in Salem, Oregon, where we perform long-term storage.
$3,750 for brain preservation ($3,000 with the long-term membership discount)
Option 2: Whole Body Shipped to Us. The body is preserved via perfusion with fixatives by a local funeral director or pathologist, then shipped to our facility, where we perform brain removal and long-term storage. The rest of the body is generally cremated, unless another arrangement is requested. This approach, with a delay between initial perfusion and brain removal, is commonly performed in anatomical research with good histological results, although it is not as well validated as our typical protocol.
$7,500 for brain preservation and body cremation ($6,000 with the long-term membership discount)
Option 3: On-Site Consultation. In some cases, we may be able to send one or more of our team members in a consulting role for a procedure abroad, in collaboration with a local provider (e.g. a funeral director). Pricing varies based on location, and this option is not available everywhere. Please Contact Us if you are interested.
These prices do not include the cost of local services or international shipping, which vary by country and provider, and are not paid directly to us. We also note that the quality of the preservation will be dependent upon the competence of the local professionals. For the additional cost of liquid nitrogen storage if that is requested, please see our Services page.
Getting Started
Please sign up using the standard forms on our Services page. If you have any questions about international arrangements, please Contact Us.