David Yu

David Yu is an Anatomy Demonstrator at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Human bodies are used to teach medical students about the structure of the body and how it works, and to train surgeons on different surgical procedures. Organisations like Brighton and Sussex Medical School, which carry out these activities, are licensed by The HTA.

"I am an Anatomy Demonstrator at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. We use whole body dissection to help teach our students - it is an important part of their medical training alongside lectures and experience of a healthcare environment. With whole body dissection, students get a much better understanding of how each organ relates to the others.

"It is essential that people realise what a central role dissection plays in teaching the doctors of the future. It isn't just medical students who benefit - we now have surgeons coming in to develop new techniques on real bodies. This is a good thing, as it is important for surgeons to develop their techniques in the dissection room before going into the operating theatre.

"The surgeons that work here have different specialities; we have those who work on bones and joints, as well as heart surgeons who teach emergency doctors how to get safely into the chest. Recently we also had mechanical engineers come in to take measurements to help develop new types of prosthetic joints.

"Regulation by the HTA is important as this reassures the public that bodies that are being used for educational purposes are treated with respect."