Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine

The Anatomy Room Gallery began in 2009 with the commissioning of its first painting, The Anatomy Lesson of the Irish College of Surgeons. Since then, all artworks have been gifted to the collection, principally by the artists themselves. This complements the generosity of those who donate their remains for medical teaching and research. Such altruism is an inspiration to all who teach and learn in the Anatomy Room.

View the Anatomy Room Gallery catalogue. 

Professor of Anatomy and Head of Department

• T Clive Lee

Professor of Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine

•  Fergal J O'Brien

Associate Professors of Anatomy

• Oran D Kennedy
• Fabio Quondamatteo

Senior Lecturers in Anatomy

• Caroline M Curtin
• Aamir Hameed
• Jane C Holland

Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences

• Jacqueline S Daly

Lecturers in Anatomy

• Shane Browne
• Claire Conway
• Ciara M Murphy

Lecturers in Biology

• Olga Piskareva
• Tom Hodgkinson

Clinical Lecturer in Anatomy

• Cara Connolly

Locum Lecturers

• Adrian Dervan
• Hyab Mehari Abraha

Professor of Art

• Una Sealy

A list of the principal investigators involved in the Tissue Engineering Research Group is available here.

The RCSI Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG) is a large multidisciplinary research group focused on the development of cell and advanced biomaterial-based strategies for the repair and regeneration of bone, cartilage, skin, cardiovascular, ocular, respiratory, neural and other tissues.

In addition to the Department of Anatomy, it works closely with the School of Pharmacy and Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics (MCT) Department in RCSI and the Centre for Bioengineering in Trinity College Dublin (TCBE).

It is also part of the €58m Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research (AMBER) Centre which is focused on developing advanced next generation materials and medical devices in partnership with industry. In addition to academic collaborators, TERG has numerous clinical collaborators in specialties including orthopaedics, otolaryngology, cardiovascular medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine.

TERG utilises biomaterials expertise to develop construct and living system technologies that can restore the structural and functional properties of damaged or degenerated tissues, whilst also trying to expand fundamental understanding in the fields of mechanobiology. TERG researchers also coordinate and/or have active roles in a number of EU consortia including DRIVE, AMCARE and GENE2SKIN.

We teach our students the applied anatomy appropriate to their area of interest and level of training. Some of our students are Undergraduates studying Medicine, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy or others are graduates studying Medicine or Physician Associate Studies, and some are Postgraduate trainees in surgery or radiology.

We also teach biology in Foundation Year and run short courses for specialist surgeons, engineers and artists.

Members of the Irish public donate their remains after death for medical teaching and research through our Anatomical Gift Programme – they are our students' first patients; their example teaches them about generosity, and how to work professionally in a team for the greater good.

As an Undergraduate student, twice a week, you will begin your day with an anatomy lecture. You will then go into the Anatomy Room for a 90-minute session when, in groups of 10, you will study the same region guided by a surgeon prosector. You will be involved in dissection and study bones, cross-sections and radiological images – by hearing the theory in the lecture, and actively learning-by-doing in the Anatomy Room, you will know all about the heart or femoral triangle by lunchtime.

Your future patients will ask you lots of questions, so we prepare you by having regular card signings; these are sessions around the table in the Anatomy Room when we ask you and your fellow students to point out anatomical structures and answer questions. All the students take part, and you’ll soon get used to thinking on your feet and learning from your colleagues.

Surface anatomy

In 2011, in collaboration with SFI, RCSI developed the world’s first 3D surface anatomy online guide. This unique, interactive guide provides a video learning resource for medics, physiotherapists and artists involving 3D views of muscles and joint movements, and emphasises living anatomy.

View the Surface Anatomy Guide in its entirety.

The entire Surface Anatomy Guide is available via this YouTube playlist.

Athena Swan is a charter that recognises and celebrates good practice towards the advancement of equality and enables representation, progression and success for all. 

Established in the UK in 2005 and launched in Ireland in 2015 by Advance HE, the Athena Swan Charter is a framework that aims to support and transform equality practices within higher education and research.

In November 2017, RCSI became a signatory of the expanded Athena Swan Charter. In October 2018, RCSI was awarded an Athena Swan Bronze award in recognition of positive gender practice (providing equal opportunities for success for all people) in higher education.

In November 2019, the Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine was the first department in RCSI to receive a Bronze Athena Swan award.

RCSI renewed its Institutional Bronze Award in August 2023, under Athena Swan's new intersectional charter – and the Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine will submit its Bronze renewal application in January 2024.

The current Departmental Athena Swan Champions are Oran Kennedy and Caroline Curtin, who work closely with our Self-Assessment Team (SAT), which is divided into the workstreams shown below:

Governance

• Oran Kennedy
• Tom Hodgkinson
• Becky Hackett
• Martyna Stasiewicz
• Tara McGuire

Data

• Ciara Murphy
• Adrian Dervan
• Cian O'Connor
• Claire Conway
• Donagh O'Shea

Education

• Aamir Hameed
• Austyn Matheson
• Kulwinder Kaur
• Louise Hosty
• Hadeel Abu Shaqrah

Policy

• Caroline Curtin
• Alan Hibbits
• Bingbing Liang
• Giulio Brunetti
• Vincent McDonagh

Communication

• Olga Piskareva
• Andrew Malone
• Elizabeth Sainsbury
• Claudio Intini

Implementation

• Fabio Quondamatteo
• Laraine O'Brien
• Clive Lee
• Jackie Daly
• Shane Browne
• Ian Woods

Our workstreams meet on a regular basis to ensure that our important EDI-related activities are kept on track and up to date. 

Our department members are also involved in a range of other EDI activities and networks, including RCSI Women’s Network, RCSI Parents and Carers Network, the RCSI Race Equality Forum, RCSI EDI Network, RCSI Multicultural Network, RCSI LGBTI+ Pride Network, RCSI Age Friendly Network and many more.