New Forensic Centre of Excellence

The award winning Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) at the University of Dundee has a national and international reputation in academic excellence both in relation to education and research.  The University plans to expand the Centre and house a new morgue to accommodate Thiel embalming and become a Centre of Excellence.  Dundee is set to become the first University in the UK to exclusively adopt the Thiel method of embalming.  

Thiel embalming provides a training and educational resource superior to current traditional formalin embalming.  The cadaver is more lifelike with retained colour and flexibility offering tremendously exciting opportunities for surgical, medical, dental and scientific study and research. The new method however requires new premises and different equipment at Dundee.  The cadavers require to be submersed in the Thiel fluid for up to two months and therefore special tanks for preparation and storing need to be built as well as racking for longer term storage as remains can be retained for up to three years.  A larger floor space, specialised lifting equipment, chemical stores and embalming solution preparation areas are also required.  The new facility will allow at least a doubling of current bequeathal capability ensuring that new courses, new training and new research can be accommodated. 

It is hoped that it will encourage further international collaboration and recognition for the University's teaching, training and research in the surgical, medical and scientific disciplines.

THERE ARE THREE PHASES TO THE NEW CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE:

PHASE 1

Build the new state-of-the-art Thiel morgue and the administration/front of house section. Refurbishment of the existing building will begin.

PHASE 2

Build the new state-of-the-art anatomy teaching rooms, changing areas and laboratories. Refurbishment of the existing building will be completed.

PHASE 3

Completion of forensic laboratories and teaching areas within the new building. There will be scope for expansion behind the new building to provide additional teaching/research laboratory space either for anatomical or forensic skills.

The University has already invested £1.5M to build the new Thiel Centre of Excellence in the first phase but a further £1M is required to make the new morgue a reality.

A further £10M will be required to develop the rest of the centre in the future.