Finishing with an invited talk from Prof. Sorrell Langley-Hobbs on osteopetrosis in cats. Combining clinical experience with research into feline bone disease, we learnt how rare skeletal conditions reveal important insights into bone biology, fracture risk and veterinary care.

Closing out the session is a sponsor talk from @3dorganon.bsky.social. From interactive anatomy exploration to AI-powered learning tools and clinical simulations, these platforms are creating new ways for students and educators to engage with human anatomy.

Fascinating work on snake feeding adaptations by @mariccibasa.bsky.social. Despite osteogenic signalling being present, the intramandibular hinge remains bone-free through development, with collagen organisation and programmed cell death contributing to this unique anatomical innovation.

How do rabbits adapt to tougher foods? Using XROMM and EMG, this fascinating study showed that rabbits extend the power stroke of chewing when processing harder foods. This reveals the extent of flexibility in mammalian feeding biomechanics.

While most mammals have seven neck vertebrae, sloths are a rare exception. Our next talk showed that relaxing this constraint links to broader changes in ribcage patterning, revealing new insights into mammalian skeletal evolution #anatsocsummer26

Kicking off the final day is @drselfy.bsky.social exploring the comparative anatomy of movement across two, three and four legs. From #gait analysis to tripedal canine #biomechanics, a fascinating reminder of how anatomy and biomechanics work together to shape locomotion across species.

An inspiring Anatomical Society Prize Talk by Prof John Morris, celebrating a career shaping anatomical science and medical education. From fundamental discoveries in neuroendocrinology to generations of students taught at Oxford, this is a truly well-deserved recognition for Prof Morris.

Next, a dual-purpose biomaterial for bone cancer defects. By combining Se- and Mg-functionalised nano-hydroxyapatite within collagen scaffolds, this research aims to simultaneously promote bone regeneration and suppress residual cancer cells for smarter regenerative therapies #anatsocsummer26

Our next speaker characterised normal craniofacial growth, compared it with #craniosynostosis, using 3D landmarking and geometric morphometrics. The results emphasise the morphological integration of the #neurocranium and #viscerocranium, with direct relevance to surgical planning.

Our final talk of this session is a sponsor talk from Anatomage. Immersive 3D visualisation with #Anatomage may enhance spatial understanding, student engagement, and clinical reasoning while complementing traditional anatomy teaching. #AnatomyEducation #MedicalEducation

Using high-density surface EMG, our next speaker found no difference in lumbar erector spinae fibre size in chronic low back pain. However, muscle activity was more cranial and heterogeneous, with smaller EMG-derived fibre cross sectional area linked to greater disability #anatsocsummer26

Our next session starts with an inspiring invited lecture from @hammofish.bsky.social, showing how zebrafish have transformed our understanding of skeletal development, regeneration, fracture repair, and ageing. A wonderful example of curiosity-driven, interdisciplinary science

Now we have the presentation of a detailed #morphometric map of nerve entry points into the semispinalis capitis muscle. By identifying regions of highest nerve density, this work offers practical guidance for improving the precision of cervical interventions #anatsocsummer26

Our next talk integrates #histology and #transcriptomics to characterise human skeletal muscle ageing. Alignment between structural deterioration and molecular pathways linked to stromal remodelling, inflammation, and oxidative metabolism offers valuable new insights into ageing #anatsocsummer26

Next, the #Anatomy Research Development Award - Juliette Hughes is exploring the role of calcified cartilage in #osteoarthritis. Combining spontaneous and metabolic disease models could reveal how early cartilage changes drive joint degeneration and open new avenues for treatment #anatsocsummer26

Life doesn't happen on a treadmill, and invited speaker Charlotte Miller is showing how animals navigate complex environments, revealing why #biomechanics, body shape, and foot–ground interactions are more nuanced than simple anatomical prediction.

Next, we look at the #biomechanics of head balance in humans and chimpanzees. By modelling the contributions of multiple interacting tissues & features, this study found that overall #skull architecture plays the biggest role in determining the head's centre of mass.

The journey from water to land wasn't just about growing limbs, it also meant rethinking how to eat. @houdzgeorge.bsky.social combined finite element analysis and anatomy to reveal how jaw mechanics evolved, helping to explain why early tetrapod jaws changed more slowly than expected.

Kicking off Thursday, is our next invited speaker, Dr Katrina Jones. She is exploring the anatomical changes that shaped the whale's transition to aquatic life, highlighting how the axial skeleton and locomotion evolved under the forces of adaptation and constraint #anatsocsummer26

Finally, Cezar Octavian Morosanu is presenting a detailed morphometric analysis of the bony anatomy surrounding the cavernous sinus. By quantifying key skull base landmarks, they provide anatomical data to support surgical planning and help reduce neurovascular risk during parasellar procedures

Next is our first sponsor talk and Daheen Lee from primalpictures.bsky.social shows how we can explore a new dimension in MSK anatomy education. Discover how dynamic digital tools bring anatomy to life, connecting structure, movement, and muscle function beyond the dissection room.

Our next speaker reveals that both lamin A/C and desmin expression varies by muscle, body region, sex, age, and exercise. The findings provide new insights into why certain skeletal muscles are more vulnerable to laminopathies and desminopathies #anatsocsummer26

Next, Seda Gözener Canbülbül presents a randomized controlled trial showing that 8 weeks of eccentric heel-drop training impacted the muscle architecture of gastrocnemius medialis, and improved jump performance in adolescent female #volleyball players

We resume this afternoon with the Sophie Miller Memorial Prize Lecture. Lauren Barrett explores SKOR1 as a potential therapeutic target for #ParkinsonsDisease. Her prize-winning research has shown that reducing SKOR1 protects against α-synuclein damage in laboratory models

A great reminder that defining "normal" #anatomy is essential for improving diagnosis. This work by @NNoelBarker establishes regional variation in healthy #Achillestendon structure, laying the groundwork for earlier detection of tendinopathy and more targeted clinical assessment.

Cervical anatomy helps identify cervical canal stenosis, and our next speaker found that cervical bony morphometry provides a reproducible framework for first-line screening and MRI referral, particularly in resource-limited settings, though MRI remains essential for diagnosis.

Using 30 patient-specific finite element models, our next speaker found fracture risk at the mandible is driven mainly by low structural capacity at the condyle, rather than high stress, suggesting individual anatomy, more than loading, predicted where the mandible is weakest

Kicking us off is Prof. Tim Holsgrove, asking: how can we better understand why spines degenerate or fail? Using population-based spine testing, alongside in vivo, in vitro, and in silico models, he studies spinal loading, injury, degeneration, and disc biology #anatsocsummer26

…and we’re off! #AnatSocSummer2026 starts with a welcome from Head of Anatomy, Prof Michelle Spear, followed by a thoughtful tribute to the late Prof Harold Ellis, one of the recent greats of anatomical education, whom we unfortunately lost earlier this year.

This week, we're at a sunny @uobrisanatomy for this years #AnatSocSummer26 meeting. You can follow along here and on all of our usual channels. Looking forward to 3 days of cutting edge MSK and Comparative Anatomy from leaders in the field. Registration from 10:00!

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Anatomical Society is inviting expressions of interest from its full members (including Early Career members) to join the Anatomical Society's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee Application: shorturl.at/wPGEW Deadline: 5pm on Friday 17th July

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