Scotland and Medicine Conference 2025
​From Artefacts to Insights: Unpacking the meaning of medical museum objects​
​​​​2 May 2025, The Symposium Hall at Surgeons' Hall, Hill Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9DW
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Scotland and Medicine is a partnership of museums, libraries and archives that showcase the outstanding and remarkable collections reflecting Scotland’s position at the forefront of modern medicine since the 18th Century.
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Our 2025 conference will explore the dual dimensions of medical collections: the tangible objects that form the foundation of museum practice; and the intangible - ethical, historical, and cultural narratives that give these objects meaning.
The event will examine the practical and technical aspects of managing medical collections addressing the challenges of preserving, cataloguing, and displaying material culture while ensuring their integrity and accessibility.
It will also delve into the moral, cultural, and societal implications of medical collections, exploring how museums navigate complex ethical landscapes and their relevance and importance to contemporary thinking.
By addressing these two themes, the conference aims to foster a holistic understanding of medical collections, providing an opportunity to share research, experience and insights, and explore engagement with medical collections in new and innovative ways.
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The conference is aimed at those working with medical collections in galleries, libraries, archives or museums, as well as researchers, academics, students and broader practitioners with an interest in this field. The conference programme is below.
Conference programme at a glance
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09:30 Registration & coffee/tea
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10:00 Welcome
Matthew Jarron, Chair, Scotland & Medicine & Curator, University of Dundee Museums
10:05 Keynote - Plural Practices: Global/Local Perspectives on Decolonising and Rehumanising Collections
Dr Jeremiah Garsha, Assistant Professor in Modern Global History, University College Dublin
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Traces of Us: Uncovering the human stories in medical collections
Introductions from Rosie Al-Mulla, Assistant Archivist in Information Services and the Archivist for the Scottish Political Archive at the University of Stirling
10:45 Conversations with the Dead
Cat Irving, Human Remains Conservator, Surgeons' Hall Museums
11:00 A Fruitful Marriage: Objects and the personal story
Dr Marek Bukowski MD PhD, Supervisor, Museum of the Medical University of Gdansk
Pre-recorded presentation
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11:15 The Art Extraordinary Collection - Joyce Laing and Art Therapy in Scotland c. 1967-2000
Dr Anthony Lewis PhD, Curator of Scottish History, Glasgow Life Museums
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11:30 Break - coffee/tea
​Confronting the Past: Addressing colonial legacies and racism in collections
Introductions from Rosie Al-Mulla
11:55 Unwrapping Colonial Legacies: Navigating the ethical challenges of displaying mummified Egyptians
Dr Abeer Eladany, Curatorial Assistant, University of Aberdeen
12:15 Panel - Overlooked and Underrepresented: Challenging a history of stereotypes and racist attitudes through
the archives of the Royal College of Physicians of Glasgow
Claire McDade, Heritage Lead, Royal College of Physicians of Glasgow
Clare Harrison, Library and Heritage Manager, Royal College of Physicians of Glasgow
Monique Lerpinière, PhD Researcher, University of Strathclyde
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13:00 Lunch
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Restored voices: Empowering individuals behind medical collections
Introductions from Nicky Reeves, Curator of Scientific and Medical History Collections (Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery) at the University of Glasgow
14:00 Researching Patient Stories from the Pathology Museum at City St George's
Dr Carol Sheils, Head of Pathology, Pathology Museum at City St George's, University of London
14:15 Phenomenal Bodies: Exploring disability in Scottish academic collections
Emily Hanson, Associate Lecturer, School of Art History, University of St Andrews
Mathilda Gatsby, Student, School of Art History, University of St Andrews
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​Refining Engagement: Connecting medical collections with communities and audiences
Introductions from Nicky Reeves
14:30 Bringing the Old Op on Tour
Jenni Hunt, Community Engagement Officer, Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret
14:45 Individual and Embodied Encounters: Visitor engagement with medical museum objects
Cornelia Thompson, PhD Researcher, Institute of Archaeology, UCL
Pre-recorded presentation
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15:00 Break - coffee/tea
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Scotland & Medicine: members' stories
Introductions from Rosie Al-Mulla, Assistant Archivist in Information Services and the Archivist for the Scottish Political Archive at the University of Stirling
15:25 Scotland & Medicine members share their recent projects and programmes
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University of Dundee Museums, Matthew Jarron
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Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Rachel Forrest​​
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Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, <Film>
15:50 Closing comments
Matthew Jarron, Chair, Scotland & Medicine and Curator, University of Dundee Museums
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16:00 Close
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16:00-17:00
Opportunity to visit the Surgeons' Hall Museums
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You can view the full programme in pdf below. We will not be printing the programme for delegates on the day, so please either download or print this in advance.​​​​​​​​​​