The University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Medical School (PMS) Anatomy department are a dynamic, forward-thinking team with a growing international reputation for innovative, research-led education. Our work centres on making anatomy education more accessible, representative, and effective for all learners. We embrace collaboration across disciplines and communities, believing that diverse perspectives lead to breakthrough discoveries in educational research.
As a Research Assistant within the anatomy team, you will be part of a research team that works collaboratively to challenge traditional approaches and promote inclusive learning environments.
The role involves:
Work Environment:
We offer a collaborative, curious, and supportive team environment with flexible working options, including the potential for hybrid or remote working.
Current Projects:
Our research portfolio includes multiple, interconnected projects (outlined below), offering you the chance to engage with diverse and exciting initiatives simultaneously.
Inclusivity in anatomy education
The widespread Eurocentric normalisation of ‘normal’ anatomy, perpetuated through resources, teaching and research excludes the global majority and often fails to acknowledge the significance of healthy variation. Not only is this exclusionary from a moral standpoint, but, when training health professionals, it can also affect parity of healthcare with ethical implications.
Our aim, through an inclusive research approach, is to better understand what anatomical inclusivity means to anatomy staff and students and identify barriers and enablers that affect the continual journey towards representation. For more information, please visit the research website.
The publication below is the first of many resulting from this global research project.
Widening access to anatomy
Anatomical and clinical language can be a major barrier to learning for many students, as it is often rooted in Greek and Latin terms. This mixed-methods, action research aims to better understand these barriers and identify why they affect some groups more than others, to better support their learning.
Another, related study focuses on understanding the experience of students in the medical school who have been through the widening access year. This co-created, qualitative study will help the school identify areas of excellence and improvement.
Future work will investigate strategies for successful anatomy outreach in schools. This study will look at embedding anatomy outreach into the current national curriculum and how different resources benefit different age pupils.
Virtual anatomy
Virtual anatomy is a fast-growing field, and continuous new advancements means it is an exciting time to be an anatomist. These platforms enable access to entire virtual human bodies that can be rotated, dissected, and cross-sectioned, amongst many other educational features. This versatility is a fantastic opportunity to apply pedagogic principles to the use of these technologies. Peninsula Medical School has been at the forefront of this technology since the school's creation, having acquired our first Anatomage table in 2015. Since then, 4 more Anatomage tables have been acquired, and other anatomy visualisation technologies, Complete Anatomy and Bluetooth ultrasound probes, have been successfully integrated into the curriculum. We have already published our active research exploring effective use the Anatomage tables (below), and a textbook chapter discussing how to pedagogically integrate virtual anatomy in curricula (in press).
The aim of this project is to further apply pedagogic principles, including constructivism, gamification and the Technology Acceptance Model, to the use of virtual anatomy, and measure their educational impacts. This will involve mixed method research with Medical, Physician Associate and Diagnostic Radiography.
For more information on Peninsula Medical School please visit our dedicated webpage at https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools
This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week on a fixed term basis until 31st July 2026 due to funding.
For this role, you will need to be on site for at least 1 day a week. Although we can accommodate hybrid working, flexibility to be on-site will be expected depending on business needs.
For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Dr Siobhan Moyes by email siobhan.moyes@plymouth.ac.uk.
For more information about the job and the person specification, please refer to the job description.
About us
The Faculty of Health holds four Silver Athena Swan awards, which recognise our commitment to supporting gender equality within higher education.
The University of Plymouth has a strong interdisciplinary research ethos which is supported by our three strategic Research Institutes; the Marine Institute, the Sustainable Earth Institute, and the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research. As a member of our academic community, you’ll be expected to contribute to our recognised research strengths. Working holistically across the University, you will be challenged to innovate, collaborate and deliver impactful research contributions as part of a systems thinking approach to addressing today’s global challenges.
Application Process
Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.
Following the closing date of the vacancy, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course.
Anticipated Interview Date(s): week commencing 10th March 2025
Our Offer
Staff appointed within the Faculty of Health may be able to join the NHS pension scheme subject to eligibility criteria.
When joining us, you will receive:
A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here.
Additional Information
The University of Plymouth is an inclusive community where everyone is welcomed regardless of their background. To find out more about our inclusive community initiatives, such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter, please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages.
We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented communities at the University of Plymouth, such as people with disabilities, ethnically diverse and LGBT+.