Human brain tissue is an irreplaceable source of information about the causes and mechanisms underlying developmental disorders, and is a major factor driving research progress. For donors and their families, dynamically developing science offers the best hope for cures and treatments. IBR's Brain and Tissue Bank for Research in Developmental Disabilities and Aging collects, processes, stores and distributes brain and other organ specimens for medical research and education. The goal of the Brain and Tissue Bank is to provide anonymous coded postmortem tissue samples for neuropathological, biochemical and genetic studies concentrating on diagnostic biomarkers, mechanisms, prevention and treatment of autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, epilepsy, intellectual deficits, chronic traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders. To increase access of researchers to material from rare developmental disorders, the Bank has distributed brain sections from a collection of half-million preserved serial sections. Federal and state support and donations of the brains of people affected by neurodevelopmental disorders and of non-affected people are crucial for further progress in research on developmental disabilities and their prevention and treatment. Organ donations are welcomed. To learn more about the Brain and Tissue Bank, contact Jerzy Wegiel, VMD, PhD, Director, [email protected]