Investigators want to better understand how the body prepares to die and the molecular mechanisms associated with the onset of death. Their discoveries may bring new reasoning about life and death from a scientific and philosophical perspective, and herald possibilities for future medical treatment. We hypothesize withdrawal of central survival signals in clinical death induces…

What happens to cells in the onset of human death? And why do certain tissues seek survival, even as the body dies?  Our research aims to answer these questions and address one of the John Templeton Foundation’s strategic priorities: Science & the Big Questions.

The Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering hosted a workshop outside Washington, D.C. in November 2022, where the foremost experts in human post-mortem conatus gathered to share updates on their research. Also in attendance were representatives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).   A second event is planned in 2023 in Indianapolis, where research…

For centuries, scientists, psychologists, philosophers, and ethicists alike have been fascinated by the concept of life after death and sought to better understand what happens to human tissues, composed of an ever-changing flux of trillions of cells, after human death. Today, a new generation of thought leaders remain captivated and want to better understand the…

Investigators from the Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering at Indiana University School of Medicine are exploring what happens to cells in the onset of human death and why certain tissues seek survival, even as the body dies. Faculty from the IU College of Arts + Sciences, with expertise in philosophy and bioethics, are collaborating with ICRME investigators, to…