Working Groups

The ultimate aim of the Patient and Community Outreach Working Group of the Research Autopsy Procurement Society (RAPS) is to support open dialogue between practitioners, donors and their next of kin, researchers, and other key stakeholders involved in research conducted at the end of life by disseminating accurate information and developing and sharing best practice guidelines.

Rapid autopsy programs support research into a wide range of diseases, enabling cutting edge investigations not possible through other programs of tissue donation.

The Ethics Working Group of the Research Autopsy and Procurement Society (RAPS) is dedicated to advancing ethical, participant-centered, and socially responsible practices in research conducted at the end of life.

Our mission is to develop, share, and promote best practices that foster respect, autonomy, transparency, and trust among participants, families, researchers, clinicians, and communities. Through collaboration, education, and scholarship, the Working Group seeks to address emerging ethical challenges related to consent, participant engagement, communication, governance, return of research findings, and stewardship of donated tissues and data.

By promoting thoughtful ethical guidance, we aim to support rapid research autopsy programs that are scientifically rigorous, culturally responsive, and worthy of the extraordinary gift made by participants and their loved ones.

The Autopsy Practices and Procedures Working Group of the Research Autopsy and Procurement Society is dedicated to creating, collating, and disseminating knowledge about postmortem research collection and processing methods.

Our mission is to support scientific discovery with best postmortem research practices.

The Research Working Group of the Research Autopsy Procurement Society (RAPS) is dedicated to developing guidance and establishing a framework for best research practices to aid the discovery of novel scientific findings.