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NewsTimes of San DiegoOctober 25, 2026San Diego County

UC San Diego sent hundreds of donated bodies to military labs as families say they were kept in the dark

Photo: Times of San Diego

The University of California San Diego loaned 517 donated bodies and body parts between April 2024 and December 2025, with over half going to the Department of Defense for combat medical training without disclosure in donation paperwork. The article reports that donor families, including the relatives of late donor Niranjana Anandpura, say they were unaware of the military partnerships and would not have consented had they known. UC Health defends the program as essential training for military healthcare professionals, stating the university classifies the transfers as loans rather than sales.

Higher EducationMedical ResearchMilitary AffairsEthicsPublic Health
Read the full story at Times of San Diego

Why It Matters

The disclosure exposes a gap between donor consent and institutional partnerships, affecting thousands of families who waive their right to returned ashes under the assumption that remains will be used strictly for civilian medical education and research.

Key Facts

Each fact below is taken from the article. Click one to see the exact passage.

Who's Mentioned

PersonDr. Morgen A. Chalmiers“Objected to the university supplying bodies to military labs”OrganizationUniversity of Southern California“Loaned cadavers that were subsequently sent to the Israel Defense Forces”OrganizationUniversity of California San Diego“Loaned hundreds of donated bodies to military and educational entities”OrganizationAnnenberg Media“Reported in February on Israeli combat medics participating in the program”OrganizationPoint Loma Nazarene University“Received cadavers for education and research programs”OrganizationIsrael Defense Forces“Received 23 cadavers loaned via USC between April 2024 and December 2025”OrganizationSan Diego State University“Received cadavers for education and research programs”PersonShuchi Anandpura“Expressed betrayal over undisclosed military partnerships”PersonThomas Murphy“Graduate of UCSD and journalist for Times of San Diego”PersonNiranjana Anandpura“Deceased hospice patient whose family donated her body to UC San Diego”PersonDr. Scott Barton“Accused by the Anandpura family of reassuring them without disclosing military t”PersonHeather Harper“Denied that UCSD profited from military contracts and defended the program”OrganizationDepartment of Defense“Entered into over $5 million in contracts for cadavers from UCSD since 2008”OrganizationNaval Medical Center“Received 250 cadavers and 20 body parts for training purposes”PersonBhavika Anandpura“Spoke in interviews regarding the family's lack of awareness about military tran”