Building on a Dream
NDRI is a non-profit, federally-funded organization (click to view funding sources) that was founded in 1980 because of a dream. Lee Ducat, the mother of a diabetic son, became NDRI’s founder and president to help scientists studying diabetes to find a cure.
Obtaining Human Tissues for Research Was Difficult
Back then, obtaining adequate numbers of pancreas for diabetes research was an incredible challenge for most researchers who were forced to rely on their own, local contacts. Scientists voiced their need and with their guidance, the concept of a national human tissue and organ retrieval system became a reality.
National Tissue Retrieval System Becomes a Reality
Soon, researchers studying other types of diseases and conditions recognized the success of NDRI’s national network. They began to request help in finding human biomaterials for their research projects.
Researchers Rely on NDRI’s Human Tissue Specimens
Today, researchers from universities, medical centers and hospitals in just about every major U.S. city rely on NDRI to deliver the specimens they need to advance their studies. Genetic studies are provided with DNA and data on valuable, well-characterized families.