Body donation programme resumes at Dundee University

CAHID receives about 90 cadavers every year for scientific research

Dundee University has resumed accepting body donations for anatomical teaching and research purposes 10 months after the programme was put on hold.

The university's Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) has accepted more than 450 body donations since 2014.

The programme was suspended since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has now resumed after "thorough risk assessments".

Vivienne McGuire said people in Tayside had been "very generous" in donating their bodies to science

CAHID bequeathal programme manager Vivienne McGuire said: "The people of Tayside have always been very generous in donating their remains so others may learn.

"We have been very disappointed to have had to decline many offers over the past 10 months and were sad that we could not fulfil the long-held wishes of our donors."

• The silent teachers - the people who donate their bodies to science

Donated bodies are used to teach medical, dental and science students about the structure and function of the human body.

They are also used to train healthcare professionals and in scientific studies designed to improve the understanding of health and disease.

Prof Tracey Wilkinson, director of CAHID, said the university normally accepts about 90 cadavers per year.

She said: "Unfortunately, our closure has affected this acceptance figure quite significantly.

"Donating your body to medical science is an incredibly generous contribution and is valued highly by staff, students and researchers."