“There is no replacement for physical dissection,” said Lindsey Pisani, manager and administrator of the Anatomical Donation Program. “Models and virtual tables are amazing, but it is not the same.”
At the ҹɫÊÓƵ School of Medicine (UNR Med), comprehensive anatomy, including hands-on dissection, is a core component of the first-year medical education curriculum. The Anatomy Laboratory is also open to students and Ph.D. anthropology students, serving more than 70 students a year and hosting thousands of classes.
“Our curriculum is designed so small teams work with the same donor throughout the year, which allows students to build familiarity with the anatomy and with each other,” said Gillian Moritz, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology and cell biology. “Over time we see clear growth — not only in dissection skills, but also in teamwork, confidence and a sense of professional responsibility toward the person who made their learning possible.”
The 3,000-square-foot facility provides 28 cadaver workstations with ceiling-mounted LED lamps, computers and sound tubes. The lab is also equipped with eight alcohol immersion tanks, an ACUSON ultrasound system and a full embalming suite. Safety and resource accessibility are top priorities in the Anatomy Lab, as students are trained in proper lab protocols.
“We do not use formaldehyde,” said Pisani. “A common misconception is our lab will smell, but we use alcohol and phenol that is better for tissue preservation and air quality for students and staff.”
While the core purpose of the lab is education for students, it is also open to tours for high school students, visitors and community partners.
“We highly encourage scheduling time to see the facility and to learn about the Anatomical Donation Program,” said Pisani. In 2025, the lab hosted 36 tours throughout the year. “It is a good idea for all to be exposed to death, and visiting the lab allows the person to take control of that experience,” said Pisani.
The Anatomical Donation Program
The Anatomical Donation Program makes it possible for medical researchers and other educators to advance medical science using whole-body donations from community members. Since the 1970s, people have been able to will their body to UNR Med in support of education and science. Donors must be located within 50 miles of the University and there is no cost to the donor or family.
The Anatomical Donation Program is a partnership between UNR Med and . Requirements for anatomical donation include: donors must be of sound mind when enrolling; cannot test positive for Hepatitis B or C; and must weigh under 230 pounds for embalming purposes. Once embalmed, the donors will be stored at the UNR Med Anatomy Lab in preparation for use by students. Donors may be stored for over a year, and it can be up to three years until a donor is cremated.
Students in groups of four will learn from the same donor over the course of a year. Once education is complete with a specific donor, they will be cremated by Walton’s Funeral Home. At the time of enrollment, donors can request a family member to receive remains or donor remains will be scattered in the Nevada foothills.
The Anatomical Donation Program also aids Truckee Meadows Community College and the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. At this time, neither institution manages its own programs. UNR Med is the only program in the state to provide whole body donations that can be used in anatomy education for medical and anthropology students.
“Because our Anatomical Donation Program is the only local willed-body program in Northern Nevada and has served the community for decades, we emphasize that every donor represents an act of trust from the community,” said Moritz. “We teach both the clinical aspects of anatomy and the responsibility of donor stewardship, so students understand the community connection to their education.”
The program also partners with Nevada Donor Network to provide cornea donations. Donors in the anatomical donation program cannot also be both an organ and tissue donor, but corneas are not embalmed, allowing for this partnership to help those in the community.
Annual memorial service
“We are lucky to have donors,” said Pisani.
This hands-on learning experience is only possible because of donors who make the decision to will their bodies to education and science. This is also the only local option of its kind in Northern Nevada.
“It is a unique program because your gift stays local and educates students in Northern Nevada who are taking anatomy,” said Pisani.
To honor and express gratitude to donors, UNR Med hosts an annual memorial service each June, conducted by first-year medical students. The team formally invites the relatives and friends of the donors, who are encouraged to share memories.
“Compassionate doctors come from this program,” said Pisani. “There is a delicate balance of dissociation required during dissection, but then a realization that this was a human being. We honor those donors for their commitment and generosity, and the memorial service is an ideal time to do so.”
“Activities like the memorial service are meaningful traditions for our students,” said Moritz. “We are also beginning to study some anatomy and donor-related experiences more closely — for example, a current medical student is conducting a longitudinal project examining how anatomy-related programming may influence medical students’ compassion and reflective practice.”
Interested donors can apply to the or they can contact Pisani directly by contacting (775) 784-4569 or adp@med.unr.edu.
“If I choose our program for my body after I die, you know it's good,” said Pisani.
