Editor Elena Patera
Welcome to the October 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 Paper of the Month
Would you like to tell the AS membership about your Anatomy Education Paper of the Month?
We are looking for contributors who would be willing to write a short review of either a recent, or seminal journal article. 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!
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 provide you with the reports of the successful endeavours of our recent awardees.
The Symington Bequest Fund Award
The Trustees of the Symington Bequest Fund make grants to Society Members towards costs associated with anatomical research. Below we provide the reports of our recent awardees!
Round 4:
Dr Joanna Tomlinson participated in the ISMS 2025 - International Symposium on Morphological Sciences, Lisbon, Portugal, 23rd to 26th July 2025. Report Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4
Round 5:
Ms Lauren Barrett participated in the European Federation for Experimental Morphology (EFEM) IV Student Symposium on Anatomical Research, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain, 02.09.25. Report Photo 1 Photo 2
Mr Ricardo Godino participated in the 11th International Conference on the Mesolithic in Europe (MESO25), Ferrara, Italy, 15th to 19th September. Report
Dr Augusto Coppi participated in the 14th European Congress for Stereology and Image Analysis in Prague, Czech Republic, 15th to 18th September 2025. Report
Round 6:
Dr Joan Omosefe Osayande - to participate in the 35th Annual Symposium of the Network for European CNS Transplantation and Restoration (NECTAR), at the Colégio da Trindade, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal, 20-22 October 2025.
Departmental Seminar Grants
The Anatomical Society runs a scheme to provide financial help to fund visiting speakers for departmental seminars. Congratulations to Professor Fabio Quondamatteo from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) for being awarded an Anatomical Society departmental seminar grant to host Dr Hazel Allardyce from the University of Aberdeen!
Round 6
Award Holder: Professor Fabio Quondamatteo
Hosted by: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Location: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Date: January/February 2026
Key Speaker: Dr Hazel Allardyce, University of Aberdeen
Topic: Guest Talk within the weekly meeting of the Tissue Engineering Group, RCSI
Public Engagement and Outreach Grants
The Anatomical Society's public engagement and outreach grants support the public engagement and outreach activities of members of the Society in the field of Anatomy. We would like to congratulate our latest recipient, Dr Mutahira Lone on receiving this award!
Round 6:
Awardee: Dr Mutahira Lone
Institution: University College Cork, Ireland
Event dates: 22nd October 2025
Activity Title: Inside Anatomy: A Virtual Reality Journey
Anatomical Society Education Innovation Award 2025 Award
Congratulations to Dr Aaron Beger (Team Lead, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Virginia, USA), Dr Eva M. Sweeney, Ms Sarah Hannan and Ms Riya Patel - for their work, The use of Virtual Escape Rooms (VERs) as an instructional tool as an innovative and creative educational strategy!
New Studentships - Early Career Investigator Studentship
For the seventh year, the Anatomical Society has awarded an early career investigator studentship. Congratulations to our recent recipient Dr Claire Conway!
Lead Supervisor: Dr Claire Conway
University: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Co-Supervisor: Dr Caroline Curtin
University: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Project Title: The Development of a Library of Digital Reanimated Mitral Valves
Student: Mr Daniele Giampietro
Start Date: 01.10.2025
Anatomical Society Undergraduate Research Awards 2024/2025
Below you can read the project report from our recent recipient Dr Caroline Allen!
Applicant: Dr Caroline Allen
Institution: University of Glasgow
Student: Ms Katherine Kurth
Project Title: Comparison of Fixation Techniques for Immunohistochemistry and Basic staining of Human Post-Menopausal Ovarian Tissue
Honorary Fellowship Recipients 2024/2025
Honorary Fellowship of the Anatomical society is a high award distinct from Fellowship. Election to Honorary Fellowship of the Anatomical Society recognises those who have made a considerable contribution to the anatomical profession. Below we congratulate our Honorary Fellowship recipients for the academic year 2024/2025!
Emeritus Professor Gordon Findlater - elected by 17.07.25 Council
Professor Stefan Milz - elected by 17.07.25 Council
Professor Tracey Wilkinson - elected by 17.07.25 Council
Deadlines for next round for Receipt of Applications
Award application deadline date for round 1 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: 13.11.2025
Award application deadline date for round 1 of the 2025/2026 award year:
- Support for Student Societies
Deadline: 30.10.2025
N.B: For academic year 2025/2026 onwards, there will only be 5 prize rounds and council meetings.
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 Ishimatsu et al. titled '‘Comparison of the respiratory vasculature of two species of swamp eels, Monopterus albus and Ophisternon bengalense (Synbranchidae). This study aimed to compare the cardiovascular anatomy of two synbranchid fishes with differing reliance on air-breathing and found that Monopterus albus exhibits significant vascular modifications associated with aerial respiration, suggesting evolutionary steps toward the development of double circulation seen in lungfish and tetrapods.
The cover image illustrates the head of an air-breathing swamp eel, Monopterus albus (top image), and its vascular cast (bottom image).
Access the paper here
Anatomical Society Best Image Prize
The next deadline for the Anatomical Society's Best Image Prize is 31st of October 2025.
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 are 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 click HERE.
To find out more about your eligibility before applying click here.
Anatomy Research Development Award 2025/2026
The Anatomical Society Council is pleased to announce the 2025/26, '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 2026.
The closing date for applications is midnight 31st December 2025.
Further details can be found here
World Anatomy Day 2025 with the University of Birmingham!
The University of Birmingham's Human Anatomy Unit and medical, biomedical, pharmacy and liberal arts and sciences students ran their 'World Anatomy Day' event on Saturday 18th of October 2025 at The Exchange, Centenary Square, Birmingham, UK from 11:00 until 15:00.
The event welcomed a great number of attendees, ranging in age from just 1,5 years old to over 70, creating a truly intergenerational celebration of anatomy!
Attendees had the opportunity to engage in a wide range of hands-on and educational activities designed to make anatomy come alive! They explored fascinating discoveries in the field and learned about the individuals behind them, gained insight into common anatomical variations, and explored the basics of brain neuroanatomy and neurodivergence. The event also highlighted how certain skin conditions can present differently across various skin tones. Interactive stations included an anatomy puzzle, a lively “Spin the Organ” game, and face painting where children’s faces were decorated to trace the terminal branches of the facial nerve and the muscles of facial expression and mastication, bringing learning to life in a fun and creative way!
Anatomical Society International Anatomy Arts & Crafts Undergraduate Student Competition (2025)
The AS International Anatomy Arts & Crafts competition is now live and it is open to undergraduate students from institutions worldwide.
This year's theme is "Global perspectives of anatomy – bringing together the global community and recognising differences while celebrating similarities". This theme was announced by the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) for World Anatomy Day 2025. The AS International Anatomy Arts & Crafts competition is proud to adopt this theme, as it aims to celebrate the intersection of art and anatomy, encouraging creativity, engagement and global dialogue.
For more information on the general and technical requirements of the competition, please check the information provided in the infographic below and on this link.
To submit your entry, use this link.
Competition closes on the 10th of December 2025 16:00 UK time.
Upcoming Conferences
Save the Date - Anatomical Society Winter Meeting
Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford
17th-19th December 2025
We are looking forward to welcoming you to the AS winter meeting in Chelmsford.
This meeting will focus on the role anatomy and anatomical knowledge has within our society, with a focus on its wider application and impact. Subthemes within the meeting will include:
- Anatomical education and the impact this has on learners of anatomy
- Anatomical outreach and public engagement and the impact this has on the public
- Anatomical research and the impact of this, under further subthemes of human interfaces and ergonomics, development, technology, EDI and clinical/ surgical applications
- The current landscape of ethics in anatomy
Registration will open in the Autumn and further details will be posted on our meetings webpage.
22nd Congress of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA), 13th-16th August 2026, Melbourne, Australia
Call for Abstracts NOW open!
The call for abstracts is now open!
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
Submission Deadline: 14 February 2026
Submit your abstract and learn more: https://ifaa2026.org/en-AU/pages/program/call-for-abstracts
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 Twitter and sharing exciting news and updates on articles from their journal. Please give them a follow @aging_cell
Access the journal here: Aging Cell