Brain banks: Crucial for research, clamouring for donors

Brain banks. The work they do is not widely publicized — most people who consider signing donor cards think along the lines of organs such as the hearts and kidneys for transplant — but it's crucial for many researchers trying to understand the causes and characteristics of myriad diseases. For example, brain tissue can help researchers investigate the causes of certain types of behaviour. The McGill Group for Suicide Studies, for instance, founded the Quebec Suicide Brain Bank at the Douglas Hospital Research Center primarily to promote studies on the phenomenon of suicide.