Join Robert Bouchie, Boston University’s School of Medicine's Anatomical Lab director for an informative talk regarding the history, practice, ethics, and legalities of whole body anatomical donation.

Historically, acquisition of bodies for research, education, and more nefarious purposes has had a troubling, if not outright, illegal and immoral past. There was a time, when the trade of stolen bodies was a thriving and lucrative business, powered by a demand from some of the most respected individuals in society. Body snatchers, or resurrectionists, as they were also known, were commonly employed by medical schools and anatomists to advance their knowledge. Bodies were snatched regularly and without consideration and the epidemic resulted in about 500 stolen bodies per school year in some cities.

Times have changed and, today, whole body anatomical donation is a well regulated, respectful, ethical practice, supplying medical schools and researchers with the means to teach, learn, and further medical knowledge.

Robert Bouchie has been the Director for Anatomical Donation and Neurobiology Laboratory at BU's School of Medicine for the past 23 years. After witnessing an open heart surgery and the patient’s subsequent death, Robert was inspired to return to school for an education in Pathology and Thanatology. He was hired at Children's Hospital Boston as the Morgue director for Autopsy and subsequently as director at Boston University’s School of Medicine.

Presented in collaboration with the Memorial Hall Library in Andover.

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