William Edwards on Preserving the Past to Teach the Future

About this episode

William Edwards discusses the educational role of the Gordon Museum of Pathology and its unique collection.

This episode, hosts Mark Viner and Lindsay Batty-Smith speak with William (Bill) Edwards, Curator of the Gordon Museum of Pathology. Bill takes us behind the scenes of one of the largest medical museums in the UK, sharing how the museum's vast collection—from 17th-century specimens to contemporary forensic materials—serves a vital educational purpose. From mummification experiments to advising on cold cases, Bill’s stories reveal the enduring power of pathology to inform, teach, and remember. To find out about the museum see: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/lsm/centre-for-education/museums/gordon-museum To learn more about our work at Anubix check out: www.anubix.co.uk --- William Edwards is the Curator of the Gordon Museum of Pathology and Senior Tutor and Deputy Course Director of the Extended Medical Degree Programme at GKT Medical School. With nearly five decades at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and a background in developmental biology, Bill is a key figure in medical museology, education, and forensic collaboration. He oversees one of the most unique collections in medical history, including over 8,000 teaching specimens, historical forensic archives, and the preserved remains of Alan Billis…

People in this episode

Hosts: Mark Viner, Lindsay Batty-Smith

Guest: William Edwards

Topics covered

• medical education
• pathology
• forensic science
• museum curation
• historical specimens

Keywords

• medical museum
• pathology
• forensic materials
• educational purpose
• mummification
• cold cases
• specimens

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Gordon Museum of Pathology, GKT Medical School, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital

Places: UK

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