Full Breakdown
USC Cadaver Program Supplies Bodies to US Navy for Israeli Surgical Training
6/4/2026, 1:16:34 AM
Alleged Transfer of Donated Cadavers to Military Training
In 2018 the University of Southern California (USC) began providing fresh human cadavers, donated for education and scientific research, to the United States Navy under agreements that also allowed Israeli military surgeons to use the remains for training. The practice was uncovered by a student journalist from USC, Jennifer Nehrer, who reported that the bodies were being sold to the armed forces for this purpose.
Background and Context
USC is one of two Southern California medical schools that have supplied cadavers to the United States Navy for surgical instruction. The Navy has used these bodies to train Israeli military surgical teams, a practice documented in a 2020 joint medical paper authored by USC and Navy instructors. Records show that the first transfers began in 2018 and have continued since then.
Key Figures and Organizations
- Miriam Volpin – medical case manager who learned of the program while working in Nevada.
- Jeanette Volpin – Miriam’s mother, a World-II veteran and former flight nurse who donated her body to USC in 2021.
- Jennifer Nehrer – USC student journalist who investigated the cadaver transfers.
- University of Southern California (USC) – the medical school providing the cadavers.
- United States Navy – the military branch receiving the bodies for training.
- Israeli military surgical teams – the foreign personnel reportedly using the cadavers.
- Al Jazeera and AJ+ – media outlets that reported on the investigation and produced the documentary series *Direct From*.
Data and Statistics
Records indicate that USC supplied at least 89 fresh cadavers to the Navy between 2018 and the present. The 2020 medical paper offers a rare description of the training protocol but does not disclose the number of Israeli participants.
Criticism and Opposition
Family members of donors, including Volpin, expressed alarm that their loved ones might have been used to train surgeons for conflicts such as the war in Gaza. Volpin described her reaction as physical illness upon learning of the program. The investigation has prompted broader concerns about transparency in the use of donated bodies for military purposes.
Conflicting Reports and Information Gaps
Public documentation of the Israeli component of the training is limited, and neither USC nor the US Navy has issued an official comment within the available sources. Details about how the cadavers are selected, the specific training activities, and the extent of Israeli involvement remain unverified.
Verbatim Quotes
> “I just got sick to my stomach,” — Miriam Volpin, medical case manager
