The Autism Tissue Program (ATP) is the largest program solely dedicated to increasing and enhancing the availability of post-mortem brain tissue, to as many qualified scientists as possible, in order to advance autism research and unravel the mysteries of this devastating disorder.  To accomplish this mission, the ATP works with tissue banks, organ and tissue procurement agencies, medical examiners and the general public, to promote and procure tissue donations to the program. 

The ATP is not a clinical organ procurement agency, but rather we facilitate the wishes of donors and families to donate their tissue to autism research.  Through the ATP’s established international infrastructure, we work with any accredited tissue bank, organ procurement agency, or medical examiner that receives a family’s request to donate their loved one’s tissue to the program.  Once contacted, the ATP will insure that the family’s request to donate their loved one’s tissue is faithfully met, covering all costs to the family and partnering agency as well as ensuring the tissues' proper and rapid transport to the ATP’s repository at the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC) in Boston, Massachusetts. 

It is through the generosity and foresight of donors and families as well as the efforts of these partner clinical organizations that each donation is made possible.

If you are an accredited tissue bank, organ and tissue procurement agency, or medical examiner and would like to learn more about the ATP or to become a partner in this program’s mission, please email us at info@autismtissueprogram.org or speak with us directly at 1-877-333-0999.