Wonderful world of anatomy explored in Sunderland

The fascinating footprint of the human body has been explored at a major event in Sunderland and celebrated as part of a global anniversary.

To mark World Anatomy Day, the University of Sunderland in partnership with Newcastle and Teesside Universities, hosted a fun-filled regional anatomy event attracting more than 500 people through the doors of The Fire Station in Sunderland City Centre, on Sunday.

World Anatomy Day honours the work of Andreas Vesalius the father of anatomy, and marks the anniversary of his death on 15th October 1564. The day is an occasion to celebrate the discipline of anatomy and to make countries around the world aware of its important role in training health science professionals.

The event was open to all families of all ages. There were also a variety of stage shows, with demonstrations by the region’s leading experts in the fields of science, education and health, showcasing how anatomy works.

Professor of Anatomy at the University of Sunderland School of Medicine, Debs Patten, who helped deliver sessions at the event, says: “We loved hosting this event in Sunderland this year. We know the cost of living crisis is hitting many families hard in our region, so we were determined to make this a free event for everyone. As universities we have an important role to play in our communities and so we reached out to schools across the region to raise awareness of the event.

“We had more than 500 visitors and it was just fantastic to see everyone so excited about anatomy.”

Also attending the event from Newcastle University is Emily Green, Lecturer in Anatomy who said: “It was so exciting to see how Sunderland took on and grew the World Anatomy Day event this year. I loved the addition of the stage events, as well as the inclusion of so many universities and departments. Everyone who attended learned something and the atmosphere was fantastic!”

On-stage events included: the Anatomy of a Superhero – design your own superhero and draw along, using ultrasound to see inside our bodies and the anatomy of evolution, motion capture software illustrated the evolution of human movement.

The event also included 10 interactive stations with themes of:

– birth & babies – helping guests understand pregnancy from week one all the way through to birth, including when and how all organs develop and start to function

– muscles of facial expressions

– understanding the digestive system – helping attendees understand the process food goes through to get from the mouth to the rectum

– dental anatomy – looking at the anatomy of the mouth and helping children understand the technique of brushing.

The event follows on from the successful ‘Bits and Bobs: The Anatomy of Sex’ event, also held at The Fire Station earlier this month. More than 100 people attended this event which offered a unique opportunity to learn about the structure, function, development, history and significance of our genitourinary and pelvic anatomy.