Understanding how disease impacts our world

By Mr Mitchell Joyce-Griggs, Science Teacher

Our Year 12 human biology students, accompanied by staff members from the science department, recently visited the Museum of Human Disease at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Kensington. Upon arrival we enjoyed a short walk through the impressive surrounds of the UNSW campus to the museum. There, our students benefited from an engaging – and at times confronting – presentation on infectious and non-infectious diseases by the Museum Team Leader, Mrs Jo Dable. The students learned about recognising and describing the changes in organs and tissues associated with disease and lifestyle factors such as cirrhosis, atherosclerosis, smoking, alcoholism and tuberculosis.

Our students engaged actively and impressively with this presentation, after which we were escorted into the museum to study their vast collection of human tissue and organ specimens dating back to 1898. We also had the opportunity to learn from a well-curated collection of educational posters, models, and medical artefacts. Whilst at times confronting, students saw firsthand the visceral evidence and impacts of infectious and non-infectious diseases upon the human body such as stroke, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, endometriosis, various traumas and even trichobezoar.

Afterwards, we took a short walk to enjoy the UNSW food court for lunch and shared in some sunlight, food, and conversation whilst absorbing the atmosphere of university life – a foretaste of the years to come for many of our students.

We sincerely thank Jo for her time hosting us, delivering such an engaging presentation and guiding us through the thought-provoking collection. We also thank our students for their laudable conduct throughout this excursion and look forward to sharing other rich learning experiences in future.