2026 Willed Body Ceremony of Thanks

On Saturday morning, February 7, 2026, more than 500 community members attended the 2026 Willed Program Ceremony of Thanks at the Student Center on the UC Irvine campus.

Each year, more than a thousand Californians make an extraordinary gift to the University of California by donating their bodies to support the education of health professionals and to advance scientific research.

Family members, friends, and community members gathered for the solemn ceremony, where program leaders, faculty, and students all shared their experiences firsthand as part of the Willed Body Program.

H. Mark Brooks, PhD, director of the UC Irvine Willed Body Program welcomes attendees.

The Willed Body Program was established to support the work of the UC Irvine School of Medicine and the UCI Medical Center.

When a person donates their body to science, they provide students with firsthand knowledge of the human body's anatomical structures, advance research and residency programs, and assist practicing physicians and biomedical scientists who rely on this generosity to support new medical advancements.    

Visitors to the Ceremony of Thanks were greeted by medical students who shared information about the program.

Attendees were invited to write their own messages of love and gratitude on wooden hearts displayed on memorial boards stationed around the auditorium.

First-year medical students also shared their experience of joining medical school and the lessons they learned from their silent teacher, the donor who gave their body for medical research.

”Decades into my career, I will not remember the textbook pages or PowerPoint slides I studied, but I will remember the willed donors,” said Jessica Wang, MS1 student at UC Irvine School of Medicine. “No educational opportunity has ever felt like first-year anatomy. I imagine that with time, as we medical students expand our knowledge and enter the wards, our appreciation for what we learned this year from our donors will only grow.”

Throughout the program, many first-year medical students shared a poem, or played a special musical piece to honor their silent teachers.

Frank Lee, MS3, played several pieces on his violin for visiting guests.

”I am so deeply grateful to the donors and the families for giving us this incredible gift. I'll always cherish this invaluable learning opportunity,” said Kylie Prentice, second-year medical student at UC Irvine School of Medicine. “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!”

Chair and professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nitin Bhatia, MD, also spoke about his experience as a former residency program director and a faculty member at the UC Irvine Cadaveric Educational Lab.

“The lab has upwards of 1000 trainees, including practicing physicians and surgeons, medical students, fellows, and others, coming to learn every year,” said Nitin Bhatia, MD. “Learners are able to hone their expertise prior to actually doing a surgery.”

Additionally, new techniques can be perfected in ways that are not possible through non-cadaveric education.

“In surgical education, there is no substitute for this gift by donors,” said Bhatia. “Textbooks, simulations, and technology are valuable, but they cannot fully replicate the depth of understanding gained through anatomical study made possible by donors. ​​​Your loved ones continue to advance science, skill, and compassion.” 

Ending the program, Benjamin Kwak, associate director of admissions and pipeline initiatives at the UC Irvine School of Law, spoke about his family members who decided to donate their bodies for medical education and research.

”My parents were Korean immigrants to California,” said Kwak. “My mother first heard about the UC Irvine Willed Body program by listening to a physician speak about it on the Korean radio station.”

His mother, not fluent in English, gave the responsibility of researching the program to his oldest sister. Eventually, all his family members decided to be a part of the program. His father died in 2017, followed by his mother in 2023, and his sister in 2024.

”I’ve come to the Ceremony of Thanks every year for the past five years,” said Kwak. “It always makes me reflect on their love and sacrifices for me. I will be forever grateful for them, and this event reminds me of the wonderful choice they made.”

​​​The Willed Body Program at UC Irvine supports the California State University and California Community College systems as well as educational, healthcare, and industry partners throughout California and beyond.