Reported by Times of San Diego
We’re coming at you with a look into UC San Diego’s body donation program. Before leaving this earth some people donate their bodies for scientific research. Some people who elected to donate their bodies to UCSD, they and their loved ones weren’t aware their remains could be loaned to the military. The Department of Defense has awarded UCSD over $5 million in cadaver contracts since 2008, making it the military’s highest-paid cadaver supplier in the country. Between April 2024 and December 2025, UCSD loaned 517 donor bodies. Over half, 273, went to the Department of Defense, which was more than went to any other recipient, including UCSD’s own educational and research programs. Our contributors Thomas Murphy and Sasha Ryu got in touch with Bhavika Anandpura, whose grandmother elected to donate her body through the program. Her family says if they knew their loved one’s body could have been used for combat training, they believe she would never have donated her body. Bhavika and her sister said they feel betrayed by the director of UCSD’s body donation program. They say he convinced their family that their grandmother’s body would be used for good. They still don’t know if their family member’s body was one of those loaned to the military. They’re asking the university to be transparent with the families of donors and to potential donors going forward.
