Canterbury
North Holmes Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1QU
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The Anatomy Learning Centre (ALC) is a highly specialised anatomy laboratory and is licensed under The Human Tissue Act 2004 and regulated by the Human Tissue Authority.
The ALC is located at Canterbury Christ Church University's main campus and is part of the university’s new science, technology, engineering, health and medicine building, the Verena Holmes Building, which was opened in 2021.
Check out the drone footage of our brand new Anatomy Learning Centre.
Virtual tours
Take a look around some of our anatomy labs with these 360 degree virtual tours.
Dissection room
- 11 dissection tables (9 rotating)
- 13 Large AV screens and integrated systems
- Three ceiling mounted surgical lights with camera which link to AV system
- Two portable surgical lights
- Capacity of up to 60
- Room can be divided into two individual work areas
Dry teaching room
- Large screen for presentation with AV that can link to the Dissection Room
- Multiple desks and chairs to provide flexible interactive learning environment
- Capacity of up to 50
Equipment
- Human skeletal material collection
- A diverse range of anatomical models
- A range of prosections
- Dissection Instruments
Thiel embalming has many advantages over the more traditional methods of embalming. This technique enables a prolonged preservation, maintaining the colour, texture, plasticity and flexibility, similar to a fresh specimen.
Thiel embalmed cadavers:
- maintain the fascial layers between anatomical structures
- retain lifelike colouration of musculature
- are highly flexible allowing them to be moved into any position
- can be sutured, ventilated, perfused, and insufflated
- can undergo endoscopy, bronchoscopy, arthroscopy, ureteroscopy or laparoscopy, providing a high-fidelity simulation experience.
Imaging of the Thiel embalmed cadavers offers a very realistic experience.
Hire our facility
As a highly specialised anatomy laboratory within a university environment, we can tailor your experience to fulfil your learning requirements and caters for your specific needs.
We can provide a range of specimens for courses including full body cadaveric specimens, prosections and plastic anatomical models. We use a range of preservation techniques, including fresh frozen, Thiel embalming and traditional formaldehyde fixation.
Our dissection rooms are also set up with large screens and operating theatre lights with integrated cameras to aid learning and demonstration. Adjacent to the dissection rooms is an additional teaching space, set up with a large screen. It is ideal for lectures, workshops or small group activities and can be booked in addition to the dissection rooms.
If you are interested in using our facilities to explore new surgical techniques or to improve learning, then please enquire using the e-mail below and we will contact you shortly.
Any use of the ALC facilities is subject to a charge. Full costings are always provided prior to hire agreement.
Facilities hire contact
For all enquiries regarding the Anatomy Learning Centre: ALC-Enquiries@canterbury.ac.uk
Our staff
Designated Individual on Human Tissue Authority Licence
Background:
Sam graduated with a BSc in Forensic Anthropology. Since graduation Sam worked as a licenced anatomical technician within higher education. Sam has extensive experience in Thiel embalming for cadaveric preservation and was responsible for the organisation and logistics for a multitude of internal and external surgical courses.
As the ALC Technical director and DI her responsibilities include:
- Ensure HTA licence is upheld and all HTA codes met
- Accountable for operational health and safety
- Interpret service requirements and lead on development, design and delivery
- Lead and direct technical services
- Point of contact for bequest enquiries
- Point of contact for external training courses development and implementation.
Contact
T: +44(0)1227 923356
Persons Designate
Background:
Lucia graduated with a BSc in Forensic Anthropology. During her studies, she also undertook an internship in the university mortuary and later worked as an anatomy demonstrator. She went on to do an MSc in Forensic Archaeology and Crime Scene Investigation. Lucia worked in various settings and roles, such as hospital clerical officer, support worker for the British Red Cross and a forensic anthropology volunteer for the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus.
Lucia was appointed to her role as an ALC Senior Technician in November 2020.
As the ALC Senior Technician her responsibilities include:
- Daily running of the mortuary and the dissection room
- Ensuring Health and Safety protocols are followed
- Procurement of equipment and consumables
- Teaching support
- Maintaining the Anatomy Learning Centre, including maintenance of cadavers, prosections, and skeletal collection
- Embalming
- Fire warden
- First Aider
Contact
E: lucia.galmisova@canterbury.ac.uk
T: +44(0)1227 923634
Persons Designate
Background:
Rae graduated with a BSc in Forensic Anthropology. After graduating she participated in multiple internships in a university mortuary. During these internships she created prosections and gained insight into the daily running of a mortuary. Rae has previous experience working as an Anatomy Technician in different universities. Her main responsibilities were auditing and cataloguing human material, maintenance of specimens and supporting teaching sessions.
As the ALC Senior Technician her responsibilities include:
- Day to day running and up-keep of the dissection room and the mortuary
- Care and maintenance of cadavers, prosections, and skeletal material
- Supporting the teaching of students during dissections and practical classes
- Administrative tasks relating to the daily running of the Anatomy Learning Centre
- Giving tours and inductions to visitors and staff
- Equipment and consumables procurement
- Fire warden
- First Aider
Contact
E: rae.denham@canterbury.ac.uk
T: +44(0)1227 923635
Bequest information and body donation
Donating your body to medical education is not only incredibly generous and is invaluable to the staff, students and medical researchers. It is a personal decision that only you can make in advance with full and informed consent.
Donated bodies will be used for
- Anatomical examination – where medical and health science students will learn about the structure and function of the human body.
- Education and training - to train a wide range of healthcare professionals including doctors, surgeons, dentists, nurses and physiotherapists.
Our donors are accepted through the London Anatomy Office. The London Anatomy Office is funded by, and accountable to the London and South East Committee of Anatomists (LSECA). The London Anatomy Office was established in the early 1980s to provide a central service for co-ordinating the donation of bodies to the London medical and dental schools. The London Anatomy Office have an information pack which describes the body donation process, the role of the next-of-kin and consent forms for donation. They also have a frequently asked questions section on their website.
In acknowledgement of the generous and valuable gift of the donation of a body for anatomical examination, a service of thanksgiving is organised by the London Anatomy Office each year
Bequest and donation contacts
Read more about the London Anatomy Office on KCL's website.
Email: lao@kcl.ac.uk
Phone: 020 7848 8042
For Further information regarding body donation please contact the ALC team by email or phone.
Email: ALC-Bodydonation@canterbury.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1227 923356
Find out more
Anatomy Learning Centre photo gallery
