ANATOMICAL
SOCIETY
NAME
Andre Toulouse
UNIVERSITY
University College Cork
NAME OF AWARD
Seminar Series 2014
Awardee Report Form
PURPOSE OF AWARD conference attended (full name) with city and dates
Organisation of symposium "1514-2014 - The Legacy of Andreas Vesalius", Cork, 21st October 2014
REPORT: What were your anticipated benefits?
The symposium was organised to mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Brabantian anatomist and medical
educator, Andreas Vesalius. The symposium brought together historians, anatomists, physicians and students to discuss his
life, contribution to anatomical and medical education and how his legacy is perpetuated today.
To accompany this symposium, we organised an anatomical art exhibition in the College of Medicine and Health's
Jennings Gallery(www.ucc.ie/en/jennings-gallery). The exhibition consists of some of Vesalius' beautiful illustrations as well
as art from his successors including some of our students. The exhibition places the anatomical art in its historical context
and highlights some of the contributions of great anatomists.
COMMENTS: Describe your experience at the conference / lab visit / course / seminar.
The conference was a real success. We estimate that approximately 70 people attended throughout the day.
The symposium was opened by Prof. Mary Horgan, Dean of Medicine at University College Cork.
Professor Vivian Nutton (Universty College London) was the first and plenary speaker. He is the leading authority on
Vesalius' life and work. He presented a detailed biography of Andreas Vesalius, charting his journey through Renaissance
Europe first as a medical student and to finish as a physician to the Holy Roman Emperor. Prof Nutton extensively spoke of
his work in the identification and authentication of Vesalius' annotated copy of the 1555 edition of "De Humani Corporis
Fabrica". We heard how Vesalius had started to prepare the revisions for the third edition of the manuscript and how
some of his earlier views on Galenic anatomy had changed with time and how this was reflected in his revisions.
Former Anatomical Society president and current chair of FIPAT, Professor John Fraher, presented an enlighting
discussion of anatomical accuracy in art through the centuries and an interesting discussion of Vesalius' contribution (or
lackthereof) to anatomical terminology.
Dr Jason Harris from the UCC School of History followed with an intriguing discussion of latin style in Renaissance
publications. Vesalius' writing style has often been described as somewhat difficult to access but we learned that it was
part of the production of textbooks that were designed for the European elite of the era. Instead of using the vernacular
latin of the era, learned authors strived to write in high latin, replicating the language of the golden age.
Current Anatomical Society president, Professor Clive Lee followed with a presentation mixing art, history and anatomy.
He extensively discussed the representation of the human body in art forms and how evolving anatomical knowledge
fed the changes in artistic imagery. Likewise, he highlighted the contribution of arts to the changes in anatomical
illustrations.
Professor Lee's presentation was followed by Dr Hiram Morgan from the UCC School of History who discussed the
contribution of powerful patrons to the development of Vesalius' career, contrasting it with the life and achievements of
contemporaries such as Leonardo. Dr Morgan highlighted the difficulty Vesalius had in publishing his book and discussed
the imprtance of the Basel-based printer Oporinus in the completion of the masterpiece.
Finally, Professor Michael Maher from the School of Medicine in UCC , contributed to the symposium by discussing
anatomical knowledge in the age of medical imaging. He informed us on the evolution of technology, and discussed
the constant challenges in communicating imaging results through a nomenclature that may be divergent between
medical specialties.
Concluding remarks were delivered by Dr Siun O'Flynn, Director of Medical Education in UCC.
The exhibition was opened by Professor John Higgins, Head of the College of Medicine and Health in University College
Cork. The launch was attended by approximately 50 guests who enjoyed the selected art. The art exhibition "1514-2014 The Legacy of Andreas Vesalius - The Art of Anatomy in Education" is running until the 1 st December 2014.
ANATOMICAL
SOCIETY
Awardee Report Form
REPORT: In relation to skills, what were the most important things you gained? (does not apply to equipment grant)
REPORT: How do you think you will put this learning experience into practice in the future?
SIGNATURE
Andre Toulouse
If submitted electronically, a type-written name is acceptable in place of a hand-written signature
DATE
14 November 2014