Editor Elena Patera
Welcome to the May issue of Anastomosis. In this issue, we bring you the latest news from our members and from the Journal of Anatomy and Aging Cell.
If you have any news, events or announcements that you would like to see published in the newsletter, please send us an email by the 20th of each month. Items should reach the editor a minimum of 30 days before the date that the event is scheduled to take place. Please remember that you can visit our News Page at any time for the very latest news.
Education Committee Tip of the Month
'Use of Latin Terminologies in Anatomy: Making Sense of Structures by Understanding Them
(Why does anatomy still speak Latin?)'
Written by Shailesh Kamble
For many students, the first encounter with anatomical terminology feels like learning a second language.
Terms such as fossa, fovea, and foramen may haunt some, while muscles such as the sternocleidomastoid, flexor digiti minimi, or gastrocnemius may seem intimidating at first glance. However, these words are not random; they are carefully constructed labels that help us understand location, shape, function, and relationships within the human body.
Latin (and some Greek) remains the universal language of anatomy because it provides consistency across countries and languages. A doctor in India, a surgeon in Brazil, and an anatomist in Germany can all understand the same structure through the same terminology. This standardization reduces confusion and improves communication in education, research, and clinical practice. More importantly, anatomical terms often describe the structure itself. Take the sternocleidomastoid muscle as an example.
Instead of memorizing it as a difficult word, we can break it down:
• sterno = sternum
• cleido = clavicle
• mastoid = mastoid process of the skull
Immediately, the name tells us where the muscle begins and ends. Similarly, gastrocnemius comes from Greek roots gastro, meaning “stomach, " and kneme, meaning '' leg,” referring to the bulging shape of the calf muscle. The foramen magnum means “large opening,” accurately describing the large opening at the base of the skull.
Understanding prefixes, suffixes, and roots transforms anatomy from rote memorization into logical interpretation.
Terms such as:
• medial (toward the midline)
• lateral (away from the midline)
• superior (above)
• inferior (below) help students visualize the body in three dimensions.
Likewise, words like flexor, extensor, adductor, and abductor reveal function rather than just identity.
This approach also improves long-term retention. When students understand why a structure is named in a certain way, they are far less likely to forget it. Instead of memorizing isolated facts, they build meaningful connections.
For educators, encouraging students to “decode” terminology can make anatomy less overwhelming and more enjoyable. Small visual aids—such as word maps, labelled diagrams, or etymology boxes—can make a significant difference. Latin terminology is not an obstacle; it is a guide. It helps us read the body like a map, where every name tells a story. In anatomy, understanding the language is often the first step to understanding the structure.
Would you like to tell the AS membership about your 'Tip of the Month', 'Anatomy Education Paper of the Month' or 'Anatomy Resource of the Month'?
We are looking for contributors who would be willing to write a short review on a 'Tip of the Month', 'Anatomy Education Paper of the Month' or 'Anatomy Resource of the Month. If you would like to contribute to an upcoming issue of Anastomosis, and join our bank of contributors please complete this form and we will be in touch!
Anatomical Society Education Committee Upcoming Webinar
The Education Committee are delighted to host Dr Arthur Lau Chin Haeng, National University of Singapore, who will give an online workshop on 'Beyond Play: Implementing Serious Games in Anatomy Education'.
Serious games are increasingly explored as innovative tools in healthcare education, yet educator hesitancy, curriculum pressures, and design challenges continue to influence their adoption. This session uses qualitative research with anatomy educators to look at the opportunities, barriers, and ethical considerations of serious games, and it also suggests a framework for meaningful implementation in anatomy education.
Date and time: Thursday 25th June 10am - 11:30 BST.
Sign up here to receive the joining link
This workshop is open to AS members and non-AS members.
Congratulations to the Latest Recipients of Anatomical Society Funding
If you would like to know more about how the Anatomical Society Funds our members, please see our full prize and funding matrix here. This month we would like to congratulate and latest recipients of the society's funding awards and provide you with the reports of the successful endeavours of recent awardees.
Anatomical Society Barclay Smith Travelling Fund
The Anatomical Society awards the Barclay-Smith Travelling Fund to AS members to support their attendance at the Anatomical Society Winter or Summer meetings. Congratulations to our most recent awardees!
Round 3
Ms Lauren Barrett - to participate in the Anatomical Society Summer Meeting, University of Bristol, Bristol, 15th to 17th July 2026.
Ms Anandita Mariappan - to participate in the Anatomical Society Summer Meeting, University of Bristol, Bristol, 15th to 17th July 2026.
Anatomical Society Symington Bequest Travel Fund
The Trustees of the Symington Bequest Fund make grants to Society Members towards costs associated with the conduction and dissemination of anatomical research. Congratulations to our most recent awardees!
Round 3
Dr John Buchanan - to participate in the 22nd Congress of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA), ‘Anatomy for Everyone’, Melbourne, Australia, 13th to 16th August 2026.
Dr Rocky Cheung - to participate in the Anatomy Education Research Institute (AERI), Texas A&M University, School of Engineering Medicine in Houston, Texas, 1st to 4th June 2026.
Ms Jemima Chukwu - to participate in the 22nd Congress of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA), ‘Anatomy for Everyone’, Melbourne, Australia, 13th to 16th August 2026.
Dr John Mulley - to participate in the 10th Meeting of the European Evolutionary Developmental Biology (EED) Society, Glasgow, UK, 8th to 12th June 2026.
Dr Rasyidah Rehir - to participate in Anatomy Advances 2026: Bridging Clinical and Surgical Anatomy for Medical Conference 2026, Birmingham, 25th to 26th May 2026
Dr Joy Reidenberg - to participate in the 22nd Congress of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA), ‘Anatomy for Everyone’, Melbourne, Australia, 13th to 16th August 2026.
Ms Natalie Wucherer - to participate in FENS (Federation of European Neuroscientists) Forum 2026, Barcelona, Spain, 6th to 10th July 2026.
Anatomical Society Departmental Seminars Grants
The Anatomical Society awards grants to provide financial support to visiting speakers for seminars. Below are the reports from some of our recent awardees.
Round 1
Award Holder: Dr Zubeyde Bayram-Weston
Hosted by: University of Swansea
Date: 30th April 2026
Key Speaker: Dr Andrew O’Malley, University of St Andrews
Event Topic: In-person Seminar - Best Practices in Medical Education with a focus on generative AI in Anatomy and Health Professions Education
Round 2
Award Holder: Professor James Sleigh
Hosted By: University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology
Date: 30th April 2026
Key Speaker: Dr Lyndsay Murray, University of Edinburgh
Event: Understanding and targeting post-treatment deficits in the motor unit in mouse models of spinal muscular atrophy
Award Holder: Dr Jennifer Paxton
Hosted By: University of Edinburgh
Date: 21st April 2026
Key Speaker: Dr Rebecca Rolfe, Trinity College, Dublin
Event: Stability in the musculoskeletal system, investigating the importance of movement to understand connective tissue function
Anatomical Society Public Engagement and Outreach Awards Reports
The Council of the Anatomical Society launched this initiative in June 2018 to support the public engagement and outreach activities of members of the Society in the field of Anatomy. Below we congratulate our most recent awardee and provide the report of a previous awardee.
Round 2
Awardee: Dr Ourania Varsou
Institution: University of Glasgow
Event dates: 3rd May 2026
Venue: Glasgow Riverside Museum, Glasgow,
Round 3
Awardee: Dr Emma Jackson
Institution: University of Glasgow
Event dates: 8th to 9th June 2026
Venue: To be held at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Glasgow Activity
Title: Glasgow Science Festival, Cheers for 20 Years - The Brain Maps-Tabletop Activities
AS Support for Student Societies
The AS supports applications for funding from student societies. Potential ideas that may be supported include organising an invited speaker and/ or organising a seminar. Please see below the report of a recent awardee.
Round 1
Awarded to: Mr Luca De Flammineis, Cambridge University Surgical Society
Institution: University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine
Event Title and Date: The National Anatomy Competition 2026, 10am on 21st March 2026
Location: Human Anatomy Centre, Downing Site, University of Cambridge
New Fellows of the Anatomical Society
Following the April 2026 Council, the Anatomical Society is happy to announce that the following individuals have received the Anatomical Society Fellowship! Many congratulations to our most recent AS fellows!
Round 3 (elected by 29.04.26 Council)
Awardees:
Dr Sourav Bhattacharjee
Dr Thomas Flanagan
Dr Eva Sweeney
New Honorary Fellowship of the Anatomical Society
Honorary Fellowship of the Anatomical society is a high award distinct from Fellowship. Election shall be in the absolute discretion of Council upon the nomination of Council itself or at least five members of the Society. Such election shall recognise those who have made a considerable contribution to the anatomical profession. Congratulations to Professor Kieran McDermott for being elected by the AS Council (29.04.26) as an Honorary AS Fellowship Recipients for the academic year 2025/26!
The Journal of Anatomy Best Paper Prize 2025 Award
This prize is awarded annually for the paper considered to be the most outstanding published in the Journal of Anatomy in that year by either a member or non member of the Society. The prize is awarded by the AS Society on the recommendation of the EiCs to the Lead Author and Co-Authors. Congratulations to our most recent awardees and runners-up of this prize!
Journal of Anatomy Best Paper Prize
Cap-to-bell stage molar tooth morphogenesis occurs through proliferation-independent sulcus sharpening and condensation-associated tension in the dental papilla
Claire Piper, Jeremy B. A. Green
Open Access
Volume 246, Issue 6 June 2025, Pages 1075-1083 First published: 20 December 2024 https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.14187
Journal of Anatomy Runner-Up Best Paper Prize
Morphological variations and cortical atrophy of the precuneus in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease
Emiliano Bruner, Rafael Gallareto-Sande, Francisco J. López-González, Linda Zhang, Cristina Sánchez Martín, Michel J. Grothe, Pascual Sánchez-Juan
Open Access
Volume 248, Issue 1, January 2026, Pages 62-70 First published: 29 August 2025 https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.70027
Aging Cell Best Paper Prize
This prize is awarded annually for the paper considered to be the most outstanding published (or accepted for publication) in Aging Cell in that year by either a member or non-member of the Society. The prize is awarded by the AS Society on the recommendation of the EiCs to the Lead Author and Co-Authors. Congratulations to our most recent awardees and runners-up of this prize!
Aging Cell Best Paper Prize
The 15-Year Survival Advantage: Immune Resilience as a Salutogenic Force in Healthy Aging
Muthu Saravanan Manoharan, Grace C. Lee, Nathan Harper, Justin A. Meunier, Marcos I. Restrepo, Fabio Jimenez, Sreenath Karekatt, Anne P. Branum, Alvaro A. Gaitan, Kian Andampour, Alisha M. Smith, Michael Mader, Michelle Noronha, Devjit Tripathy, Nu Zhang, Alvaro G. Moreira, Lavanya Pandranki, South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) COVID-19 Clinical team, STVHCS COVID-19 Vaccine team, STVHCS COVID-19 Convalescent care team, STVHCS Center for Personalized Medicine, Sandra Sanchez-Reilly, Hanh D. Trinh, Clea Barnett, Luis Angel, Leopoldo N. Segal, Susannah Nicholson, Robert A. Clark, Weijing He, Jason F. Okulicz, Sunil K. Ahuja
Open Access Aging Cell Volume 24, Issue 7
First published: 23 April 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.70063
Aging Cell Joint Runners-Up Best Paper Prize
Atavistic Genetic Expression Dissociation (AGED) During Aging: Meta-Phylostratigraphic Evidence of Cellular and Tissue-Level Phylogenetic Dissociation
Léo Pio-Lopez, Michael Levin
Open Access Aging Cell Volume 25, Issue 1
First published: 08 December 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.70305
Entropy, Assessed by Homeostatic Dysregulation on Electrocardiograms Predicts Fracture and Mortality
Namki Hong, Sang Wouk Cho, Jungheui Kim, Hanjin Park, Dong-Seon Kang, Seng Chan You, Hee Tae Yu, Kyoung Min Kim, Yumie Rhee, Alan A. Cohen, Steven R. Cummings
Open Access Aging CellVolume 24, Issue 12
First published: 10 September 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.70227
Deadlines for next round for Receipt of Applications
Award application deadline date for round 4 of the 2025/2026 award year:
Symington Bequest
Barclay Smith Travelling Fund
Fellowship of the Anatomical Society
Public Engagement and Outreach
Departmental Seminar Awards
Deadline: 16.06.2026
Award application deadline date for round 4 of the 2025/2026 award year:
Support for Student Societies
Deadline: 02.06.2026
N.B: For academic year 2025/2026 onwards, there will only be 5 prize rounds and council meetings.
Undergraduate Summer Vacation Research Scholarships Project Resumes
Please find below the approved Project Resumes of the Anatomical Society Undergraduate Summer Vacation Research Scholarships for 2026.
Anatomical Society Undergraduate Awards 2025/26 POSTER for Departmental Noticeboards.
Applicant: Dr Hyab Mehari Abraha
Institution: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Student: Mr Rashid Darwish Al Ghaithi
Project Title: Investigating the potential of neodymium nanoparticles to promote osteogenesis under oxidative stress
Applicant: Professor Thomas Gillingwater
Institution: University of Edinburgh
Student: Ms Eugenie Johanna Horisberger
Title: Uncovering the Role of CCR2+ve Macrophages in a Model of Motor Neuron Disease
Applicant: Dr David Kilroy
Institution: University College Dublin, Ireland
Student: Ms Jingran Tao
Project Title: Quantitative CT-based 3D Morphometrics of Cranial Air Sacs in Odontocetes with Equine Comparative Analysis
Applicant: Mrs Sharmila Rajendran
Institution: University of Oxford
Student: Ms Ghazal Ershadi-Oskoui
Project Title: Exploring the Responsible Use of AI Platforms to Generate Interactive Neuroanatomy Simulations Through a No-Code Authoring Approach
Applicant: Dr Frank Schubert
Institution: University of Portsmouth
Student: Ms Ava Yorulmazoglu
Project Title: The effect of neural tube patterning on CNS vascularisation
Applicant: Professor James Sleigh
Institution: UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (QSION), University College London
Student: Ms Magdalena Georgieva
Project Title: Morphological evaluation of motor and sensory neurons in a new mouse model for SORD neuropathy
Applicant: Professor Richard Wingate
Institution: King's College London
Student: Ms Burinrat Phoonsawat
Project Title: Plasticity within the developing cerebellar rhombic lip in chicken
Applicant: Dr Ian Woods
Institution: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Student: Ms Laoise McAuley
Project Title: Flexi-Stim: Flexible Electrodes with Anatomical Shape Memory for Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation
Anatomy Research Developmental Awards 2026/2027
The Anatomical Society Council is pleased to announce the 2026/27, 'Anatomy Research Development Award' aimed at researchers in the early stages of their academic careers.
Applications are currently being invited from eligible researchers to commence in 2027. The closing date for applications is midnight 31st December 2026.
Anatomical Society Research Studentships 2025/26 Approved Project Resumes
The Anatomical Society is delighted to announce the award of three new research studentships. These awards are the outcome of the Society’s annual studentship competition open to its members. Please see below the approved project resume of a recent research studentship.
SENIOR STUDENTSHIPS
Lead Supervisor: Professor Fergal O’Brien
University: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Co-Supervisor : Dr Adrian Dervan
University: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Student: Ms Ashla Copeland
University: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Project Title: Development of anatomically mimetic biomaterial scaffolds as model systems to interrogate aging effects in the adult human central nervous system
Anatomical Society Research Studentships 2026/27
Call for Applications
Applications are currently being invited from prospective supervisors for Research Studentships to be held in departments of anatomical sciences in the UK and Ireland starting October 2027. The closing date for applications is 5pm Wednesday 19th August 2026.
For the eighth year, the Society is reserving a studentship for an early career investigator (ECI). An ECI is a person with a lectureship or independent research fellowship who is within 12 years of being awarded a PhD, exclusive of career breaks, who has guaranteed employment for the duration of the studentship and who has not held an AS PhD Studentship previously. The application will be judged according to different criteria than the regular studentship submissions with more emphasis on project design and training provided than on track record. The proposal will still have to meet the high standard expected.
The advertisement, application forms, information and conditions can be found on the website:
Alternatively, contact the Honorary Secretary, Professor Joanna Matthan, care of maryanne.piggott@kcl.ac.uk
Anatomical Society Mentorship Scheme May 2026
The sign up for participation in the Anatomical Society's mentorship scheme is now open again.
If you are interested please check out this document
The form closes at 5pm on the 29th May 2026, with signups being contacted if they have been successfully paired in due course.
Link to form: https://forms.office.com/e/WT0UAeJ6cJ
Anatomical Society Best Image Prize May 2026
The next deadline for the Society's Best Image Prize is 31 May 2026.
There are two categories that images can be entered under: scientific image category and artwork image category.
Scientific images include histology, microscopy and radiological images and are typically produced from anatomical research projects.
Artwork images include drawings, paintings and photographs and are typically produced for educational purposes.
Applicants will be asked to choose which category they are entering their image for on the application form.
The maximum size limit for submitted images is 3.0MB. The JPEG or TIF file should have a minimum resolution of 300dpi. For more information on the eligibility criteria click on the following link Best Image Prize (anatsoc.org.uk)
Upcoming Conferences
22nd Congress of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA), 13th-16th August 2026, Melbourne, Australia
Standard registration for the 22nd IFAA Congress is still available!
This is an opportunity to share our work, insights, and innovations with a global audience of colleagues and thought leaders in anatomy and related fields, including:
Anatomical Sciences Education
Surgical and Clinical Anatomy
Imaging Anatomy
Neuroscience and Cell Biology
Ethics and Law
Anatomy for Everyone, including Biological Anthropology, Forensics, Histology, Developmental Anatomy/Embryology
For more information regarding the registration, please visit this link: https://ifaa2026.org/en-AU/pages/registration/registration
5th Early Career Anatomists Conference
The Early Career Anatomists group is hosting their annual hybrid conference from September 3rd to 4th 2026 at Kent and Medway Medical School, Kent, UK.
If you are interested in attending, please check out the information below:
Journal of Anatomy
For a summary of many of the published articles check out @JournalofAnat. As a member of the Anatomical Society you have access to these articles and to the Journal of Anatomy through Wiley Online Library.
Access the journal here.
The cover image for the latest issue is from a paper by Fortner et al., titled ‘‘Biomechanics of the intramandibular joint in Alligator mississippiensis’.
The study aimed to test how intramandibular joint shape and jaw muscle activity affect mandibular strain in Alligator mississippiensis, and it found that larger, more complex joint surfaces, rather than muscle contraction, are the main factor reducing IMJ strain.
Access the paper here
The cover image for the journal's May issue is shown below:
Aging Cell
Aging Cell is a bi-monthly peer-reviewed, open access journal that aims to publish the highest quality, innovative research addressing fundamental issues in the biology of aging. We would like to remind you that our colleagues Aging Cell are now back on X and sharing exciting news and updates on articles from their journal. Please give them a follow @aging_cell
Access the journal here: Aging Cell
Vacancy
University College London For more information about this post please click here | Job Title | Anatomy Laboratory Technician |
Contract Type: | Full time | |
Organisation: | School of Life & Medical Sciences (B02), University College London | |
Remuneration: | £29,882-£31,290 | |
Closing Date: | 18 June 2026 |