Embalming tank named after retired professor

Published On Fri 10 Oct 2014 by Grant Hill

A long-standing member of the Centre for Human Anatomy and Identification (CAHID) at the University of Dundee has received an unusual retiral gift – an embalming tank named in his honour.

Professor Roger Soames joined authors such as Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver and Jeff Lindsay in having a Thiel embalming tank name after him in the Val McDermid Mortuary.

CAHID is recognised around the world for its innovative use of the Thiel embalming method, which preserves cadavers with life-like flexibility and tissue quality.

Professor Soames, who retired at the end of September, had been a member of the CAHID team for the past eight years and held the position of Cox Chair of Anatomy.

He said, “I am pleased to be leaving with the Centre in such good hands. We have achieved a lot during the last few years. The opening of a new mortuary using the Thiel method was a pinnacle. As was receiving the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education and travelling to Buckingham Palace to collect it.”

Professor Tracey Wilkinson, who replaces Professor Soames as Cox Chair of Anatomy, paid tribute to her departing colleague, saying, “Roger will be sorely missed. He will be a hard act to follow but I am looking forward to the challenge and the excitement of working with the team in CAHID.”

Professor Sue Black, Director of CAHID, added, “We have a really strong team in the Centre and have enjoyed a lot of success over the last 10 years. At this stage we can’t even imagine what the next decade is going to be like – except that we know they are going to be exciting, challenging and fun.” 

CAHID ran the ‘Million for a Morgue’ fundraising campaign, which saw the mortuary named after author Val McDermid, a dissection room named after Stuart MacBride and Thiel embalming tanks named after eight other authors who lent their support to the initiative

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