For Philemon Shallie, textbooks and anatomical models are no substitute for the experience of seeing inside a real human body.

“What you see in the textbook is not what you see in the body,” he said. “It (the body) is more complex.”

Shallie is an anatomist and new associate professor at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, brought in to enhance students’ experience with the study and dissection of human bodies. And they will have a state-of-the-art anatomy lab for that purpose when the Wichita Biomedical Campus opens downtown.

The first phase of the campus, a $205 million, 350,0000-square-foot joint health sciences center, is expected to open for the first group of students in fall 2027.

In addition to several high-tech features, the new lab will have three times the capacity of the one now used by the school.

Currently, medical students make use of the anatomy lab located in Newman University’s Bishop Gerber Science Center, where students in Newman’s nurse anesthesia program also study.

Anatomy laboratories are costly to maintain and relatively uncommon. In Wichita, Wichita State University operates the only other such facility, which primarily serves students in its College of Health Professions.

Shallie, who taught anatomy to medical students in Nigeria for two decades, joined the University of Missouri-Kansas City four years ago as a research scientist and faculty member. Since last year, he has been commuting to Wichita several days each month to teach anatomy to medical students. This foundational course begins in the students’ first year and concludes during their second year. Previously, anatomy dissections were facilitated by an adjunct faculty member who was the lead anatomist at Newman University. Shallie has since taken on that instructional role, guiding students through hands-on dissections. Working in small groups, students typically complete a full-body dissection over the course of three semesters, with two sessions in the first year and one in the second, organized by anatomical region.

Newman’s lab has four anatomical donor stations currently used by KU. The Wichita Biomedical Campus lab will have 12 to accommodate anticipated enrollment increases at KU School of Medicine-Wichita.

Other features of the 2,500-square-foot lab will include:

• Hi-tech lighting and individual air filtration and ventilation stations at each station.

“Sometimes, when examining anatomical structures, you need focused lighting — much like in surgery — to zoom in and see the details clearly,” Shallie explained.

While the anatomical donors are embalmed, the dissection process can release chemical vapors. The lab's ventilation system is designed to safely remove these gases, ensuring a safe environment for students and instructors.

• A tank wash station. Shallie called this a critical component of the anatomy lab’s sanitation system used for cleaning dissection tanks and body trays after use; the proper disposal of fluids and biohazard residues; and maintaining hygienic standards in handling. The stations are typically made of stainless steel, fitted with high-pressure hoses or sprayers, and include drainage systems connected to a sanitary waste line.
• Roll-in refrigeration and storage. These are used for preservation of donor specimens between dissection sessions and temporary storage of tissue specimens, compliant with OSHA and health department regulations.
• Integrated audio-visual technology, used to enhance instruction and demonstration. These may feature ceiling-mounted or mobile cameras for live dissection feeds; large monitors or projection systems for class viewing; microphones and speakers for instructional clarity; and a learning management system or video capture for review. Shallie said the technology improves engagement in large-group settings and supports remote instruction.
• Office space for instructor-student consults.

The campus has recently purchased a VH dissector, which allows students to dissect bodies in a digital environment with 3D and cross-sectional views.

"KU School of Medicine strongly believes there is no substitute for the hands-on experiences and techniques learned in the traditional anatomy lab. This new technology provides asynchronous learning opportunities and a bridge to the surgical world of today that includes both robotic-assisted techniques and more traditional approaches when appropriate," said Laura Tatpati, M.D., dean. "Our new building will be that educational bridge that values the best of all learning modalities to provide the highest quality experience for our learners."

While this technology offers cutting-edge, interactive learning, Shallie emphasized the unparalleled value of working with real human anatomical donors.

“The variation you encounter, from age, gender and body size to different pathologies and causes of death, offers an educational depth that technology alone cannot replicate,” he said.

“Beyond the theoretical knowledge, dissection provides an authentic view of how anatomical structures truly appear, not just how they're depicted in textbooks. It’s a real-life experience that benefits all medical students, regardless of their future specialty. What you see, touch and dissect, you remember far better than what you simply read.”

WSU’s College of Health Professions will operate a second anatomy lab on the same floor of the Wichita Biomedical Campus. That space will contain 16 bays along with anatomy simulation and histology labs. It will be used by students in all of the college’s programs, from undergraduate to doctoral programs in physical therapy and nursing. An anatomy simulation lab uses tools such as 3D virtual dissection headsets and high-fidelity manikins to teach anatomy and clinical skills, while a histology lab is used to teach the preparation and examination of tissue slides.

Shallie expressed optimism about future partnerships, stating, “We will have opportunities for collaboration with WSU. That’s a very good thing.” His remarks highlight a growing spirit of academic synergy that promises to enhance educational and research efforts across institutions.

The anatomy labs at Newman and WSU also frequently host visits by groups of high school and college students from across the state, so it’s likely those at the Wichita Biomedical Campus will as well.

Anatomical donors used in the lab will come from the KU School of Medicine’s Willed Body program, which distributes anatomical donors to schools around the country for a one-year period. The anatomical donors are then returned to KUSM, which cremates and returns the remains to the donors’ families.

“We will definitely have one of the best anatomy labs I have seen,” Shallie said.

Learn more

A new home for the health sciences is rising in the heart of downtown Wichita. Learn more about the Wichita Biomedical Campus and the innovative partnership to serve Kansas and prepare the next generation of physicians and pharmacists.