Africa’s largest and most advanced Medical Morphology Learning Centre (MMLC), which was opened at Stellenbosch University last month, will move beyond traditional teaching methods to create an immersive, interactive learning environment, said the institution.
Located within SU’s Biomedical Research Institute at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (Tygerberg Campus), the MMLC blends cutting-edge technology with traditional anatomical resources, offering students access to human anatomy through multiple learning modalities.
“With the MMLC, we’ve reimagined health sciences education, changing learning from a passive exercise into an interactive immersive journey,” said Professor Karin Baatjes, Vice-Dean: Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
“This cutting-edge training facility uses the latest technology to transform how students connect with the complexity of the human body.”
The centre includes virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) systems, interactive touch tables enabling 3D anatomical exploration, and advanced 3D printing facilities for creating tactile models used in surgical planning and health sciences education.
The VR headset enables students to perform virtual dissections, manipulate anatomical structures in real-time, and examine internal systems from multiple perspectives.
Beyond its technological capabilities, the MMLC maintains extensive traditional resources, housing more than 1 300 ethically sourced human specimens spanning normal and pathological morphology, alongside high-quality microscopes and curated histology slide collections for detailed tissue examination.
Professor Gerhard Walzl, head of the Division of Immunology, described that MMLC as “serving as a collaborative hub where health sciences professionals, researchers, clinicians, and educators converge”.
“It positions us to create future-ready health professionals who can navigate both traditional medical knowledge and emerging technologies, ensuring they're equipped for tomorrow's healthcare challenges and opportunities,” added Baatjes.
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