In this blog series we will be featuring our award winners and highly commended recipients from the Faculty’s ‘Outstanding Contribution to PPIE’ awards. The awards showcase inspirational and outstanding commitment to PPIE that has made a positive difference to our community and highlights the amazing events, activities, people and groups from across the Faculty.  

Our latest blog in this series features the Museum of Medicine and Health, winner in this year’s Public Engagement category. The Museum’s Heritage Officer, Stephanie Seville, has helped diverse audiences engage with the rich medical history within the Faculty and beyond.  

The Museum of Medicine and Health includes one of the most extensive collections of medical instruments and equipment in England. Spanning more than 300 years, the collection is an important cultural and historical asset for The University of Manchester.  

As the museum’s Heritage Officer, Steph Seville plays an essential role in making the collection accessible for staff, students and the public. Through teaching, events and community outreach, she has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to public engagement.  

The collection has been utilised by several student groups to enrich learning and engagement. With Steph’s support, courses including Optometry, Public Health and MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies have interacted with the collection in various ways. Students have a tradition of using the collections for their own public engagement. This has included supporting postgraduate students to present at a one-day interactive exhibition, featuring medical instruments from MMH. Held at Manchester Central Library, the display showcased a history of medical innovation, covering themes like art in medicine, disability, and orthopaedics. Students were able to gain professional experience, curating historical exhibitions but also participate in knowledge exchange with the public. 

Steph’s innovative approach to accessible learning has brought MMH firmly into the digital age with the Instruments of Change online exhibition. Originally only displayed physically in the Stopford Building, Steph collaborated with Manchester Digital Exhibitions and two placement students to create an interactive and captivating online showcase, bridging historical artefacts with global audiences.    

As well as her commitment to engaging the University’s community with MMH, Steph represents MMH in several wider public engagement events, such as the University’s annual community festival and British Science Week, one of the largest national science festivals in the world. Working in collaboration with the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences and postgraduate students, Steph led the ‘In A Heartbeat’ stall, inspiring the next generation of scientists and healthcare workers.   

Steph consistently explores contemporary avenues to engage audiences in reimagining museums within the modern space. In an online event she brought together medical historians, researchers, and digital engagement specialists to explore the merits of in-person object engagement versus digital interaction with virtual counterparts. The event was attended by over 50 people from across the world and from various disciplines, showcasing digital exhibitions as a powerful engagement tool for the future of medical history education. 

Under academic lead Dr Harriet Palfreyman in the Centre for the History of Science Technoloy and Medicine, the museum continues to expand into teaching and learning. Both Steph and Harriet involve the museum within academic communities and in April present at the Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning conference in London.  

To find out more: 

• Visit the Museum of Medicine and Health website 

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