The ATP is an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved clinical program, operating in collaboration with the Harvard Brain and Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC).  An IRB, also known as an Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) or Ethical Review Board (ERB), is an external, independent committee that has been formally designated to approve, monitor, and review biomedical and behavioral research involving humans with the aim to protect the rights and welfare of the research subjects.  An IRB performs critical oversight functions for research conducted on human subjects that are scientific, ethical and regulatory.  For more than a decade, the ATP has held and maintained a spotless record with our IRB, abiding by all rules and regulations, in order to protect the rights and privacy of our donors and families.

The ATP is fully committed to protecting you and your family’s privacy through any process, communication or action by this program.  All family contact information remains confidential to the ATP and the HBTRC and is never shared.  Your family’s identity is kept confidential by providing unique de-identifying tracking codes for all associated data and donor tissue.  Approved researchers will be able to access relevant medical data obtained and provided by your permission to the ATP on a secure, password protected website, but will be unable to know or discern any identity of the donor or donating family.