Collections For All

Natural Science Collections

Collections for All: Encouraging Clinical Access

Collections for All: Encouraging clinical research in natural science collections

This workshop was held at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons in June 2014 and was a place for researchers, curators, collection managers, administrators, conservation and veterinary science professionals to answer the question: how can we improve and increase the access and use of natural science collections for clinical research?

Participants from Museum of London, Hunterian Museum, Natural History Museum, Kings College London, Queen Mary's College London, and NatSCA, worked together to unpick the question and to form the content for toolkit blogs there were case studies, discussion groups, and activities to explore issues as diverse as: destructive sampling, engagement with clinical trainees, orphan collections, access policies, ethics, copyright and future-proofing collections.

Professor John Cooper, Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Margaret Clegg, Head of Human Remains, Natural History Museum, Richard Sabin, Principal Curator of Mammals and Vertebrates [South Kensington], Collections Manager, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum and Kristin Hussey, Assistant Curator, Hunterian Museum at Royal College of Surgeons presented case studies that led into the activities of the day.  Paolo Viscardi, Chair, NatSCA shared information on the Natural History Near You project.

The blogs Collaboration, patient welfare and future-proofing and Encouraging clincal research in natural science collections report on the outcomes of the workshop.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith