Research

Our research focuses on achieving the highest-quality structural brain preservation possible across the full range of realistic circumstances in which a person who desires brain preservation might legally die. These include relatively favorable scenarios, such as when the timing of legal death is predictable (e.g., when someone chooses Medical Aid in Dying), as well as more challenging situations involving prolonged agonal states, ischemia, medicolegal delay, non-standard anatomy, and other complex, real-world circumstances.

Basically, our goal is to research how to achieve the highest structural brain preservation possible under both relatively ideal conditions and the non-ideal conditions that often occur in practice.

 

Our primary research focus is on human anatomical donors, which are obviously the best model for testing preservation methods on the human brain. Aside from the research itself, this also gives us a tremendous amount of practical experience with the procedures and allows us to improve our techniques through iteration. Additionally, by building a brain bank with a unique focus on perfusion fixation and high-quality preservation throughout the brain, we are creating a resource that can support research on neurodegeneration, brain aging, and neuropsychiatric disorders. 

We also have research programs using donated companion animal bodies, particularly dogs that have been euthanized by a licensed veterinarian and subsequently donated by their families. These donations provide a valuable opportunity to study preservation in a large mammalian brain under realistic conditions, and have also supported research on brain aging and comparative neuroanatomy.

Finally, we have an electron microscopy program that includes sample preparation, ultramicrotomy, preparation of blocks, imaging with a high-quality electron microscope equipped for FIB-SEM, and image analysis. We are beginning to offer these electron microscopy services to outside researchers and organizations on a contract basis. If you are interested in these services, please Contact Us.

 

Visiting Researcher Program

SBP welcomes visiting researchers, students, clinicians, engineers, and others interested in brain preservation and related areas. Visitors may spend anywhere from a few days to several weeks or more working on independent or collaborative research and educational projects related to SBP's mission.

Visiting researchers participate on a voluntary, unpaid basis. Depending on availability, we may be able to help with housing and project expenses. 

If you are interested in this program, please Contact Us noting that you are interested in being a Visiting Researcher, with a short description of your background, interests, possible dates, and what you might like to work on. 

 

Publications

 

McKenzie, A. T., Nnadi, O., Slagell, K. D., Thorn, E. L., Farrell, K., & Crary, J. F. (2024). Fluid preservation in brain banking: A review. Free Neuropathology, 5, 10. https://doi.org/10.17879/freeneuropathology-2024-5373.

 

McKenzie, A. T., Thorn, E. L., Nnadi, O., Wróbel, B., Kendziorra, E., Farrell, K., & Crary, J. F. (2024). Cryopreservation of brain cell structure: A review. Free Neuropathology, 5, 35. https://doi.org/10.17879/freeneuropathology-2024-5883.

 

McKenzie, A. T., Zeleznikow-Johnston, A., Sparks, J. S., Nnadi, O., Smart, J., Wiley, K., Cerullo, M. A., de Wolf, A., Minerva, F., Risco, R., Church, G. M., de Magalhães, J. P., & Kendziorra, E. F. (2024). Structural brain preservation: A potential bridge to future medical technologies. Frontiers in Medical Technology, 6, 1400615. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmedt.2024.1400615.

 

McKenzie, A. T., Wowk, B., Arkhipov, A., Wróbel, B., Cheng, N., & Kendziorra, E. F. (2024). Biostasis: A roadmap for research in preservation and potential revival of humans. Brain Sciences, 14(9), 942. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14090942.

 

Garrood, M., Thorn, E. L., Goldstein, A., Sowa, A., Janssen, W., Wilson, A., López, C. S., Shankar, R., Stempinski, E. S., Farrell, K., Crary, J. F., & McKenzie, A. T. (2025). Preservation of cellular structure via immersion fixation in brain banking. Free Neuropathology, 6, 4. https://doi.org/10.17879/freeneuropathology-2025-6104.

 

McKenzie, A. T., Keberle, A., Minerva, F., Zeleznikow-Johnston, A., & Harrow, J. (2025). The right to immediate preservation: addressing legal barriers due to death investigation. Forensic Sciences, 5(2), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci5020016.

 

Zeleznikow-Johnston, A., Kendziorra, E. F., & McKenzie, A. T. (2025). What are memories made of? A survey of neuroscientists on the structural basis of long-term memory. PloS One, 20(6), e0326920. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0326920

 

Garrood, M., Keberle, A., Sowa, A., Janssen, W., Thorn, E. L., Sanctis, C. D., Farrell, K., Crary, J. F., & McKenzie, A. T. (2025). Evaluating ultrastructural preservation quality in banked brain tissue. Free Neuropathology, 6, 13. https://doi.org/10.17879/freeneuropathology-2025-6763

 

McKenzie, A. T., Cerullo, M., Farahani, N., Sparks, J. S., Londoño, T., de Wolf, A., Dziennis, S., Wróbel, B., German, A., Kendziorra, E. F., de Magalhães, J. P., Cho, W., Perry, R. M., & More, M. (2025). Practitioner forecasts of technological progress in biostasis. ArXiv:2507.17274 [q-Bio:NC]. http://arxiv.org/abs/2507.17274

Garrood, M., Keberle, A., Taylor, G. A., Thorn, E. L., Sanctis, C. D., Farrell, K., Crary, J. F., Sparks, J. S., & McKenzie, A. T. (2025). Mechanical perfusion in brain banking: Methods of assessment and relationship to the postmortem interval. Free Neuropathology, 6, 20. https://doi.org/10.17879/freeneuropathology-2025-8880

 

Zeleznikow-Johnston, A., Kendziorra, E. F., & McKenzie, A. T. (2026). Physician estimates of the feasibility of preserving the dying for future revival. PLoS One, 21(5), e0348216. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0348216

Wolf, M., Beck, A., Paredes, L., Darcy, S., Parra, A., Taylor, G. A., Garrood, M., Thorn, E. L., De Sanctis, C., Crary, J. F., Farrell, K., & McKenzie, A. T. (2026). Brain extraction for fixed tissue banking: a technical report. Free Neuropathology, 7, 11. https://doi.org/10.17879/freeneuropathology-2026-9411

 

McKenzie, A. T., Keberle, A., Slaughter, A., Garrood, M., M'Saad, O., Gulcicek, J., Bouadi, O., Crary, J. F., & Farrell, K. (2026). Expansion microscopy of banked brain tissue. Free Neuropathology, 7, 15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42422192/

 

McKenzie, A. T., de Wolf, A., Grotemeyer, A., Kendziorra, E., & German, A. (2026). Overcoming perfusion impairment in the ischemic brain: A review. NeuroSci, 7(4), 89. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci7040089

Kalfus, J., Ward, D., Wróbel, B., & McKenzie, A. T. (2026). How long is the brain perfusable after global ischemia? A systematic review. Brain Sciences, 16(8), 882. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16080882

Garrood, M., Keberle, A., Slaughter, A., Sowa, A., Thorn, E. L., De Sanctis, C., Farrell, K., Crary, J. F., & McKenzie, A. T. (2026). Cryopreservation of aldehyde-fixed whole brains. PLoS One, 21(8), e0344932. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0344932