Working with human remains

UCL owns and displays human remains for the core purpose of learning and research.

The Collections Management Team is responsible for the management of the Public Display Licence awarded by HTA, which enables us to display and store human remains in our premises.

Sensitive images

Please note that these pages contain images of human remains. We acknowledge that it is likely that the people represented in our collections did not consent for their remains to be retained.

A piece of bone removed by pioneering surgeon, Robert Liston

Human remains managed by UCL Museums and Collections

UCL Museums and Collections hold and care for over 8,000 specimens of human remains. Some of these remains can be identified to individuals, but most now cannot.

Human remains objects on display, including an oesophagus

Human remains at UCL

UCL holds human remains for the core purposes of learning and research as a higher education institution, as a museum authority to provide public benefit and through its role as a repository for human material acquired by a public healthcare trust.

Working with human remains

Sensitive images

Human remains managed by UCL Museums and Collections

Human remains at UCL

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