Olivia Murray

Teaching Fellow in Anatomy

Olivia Murray

Anatomy Teaching Fellow

  • Anatomy
  • Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Address

Doorway 3
Medical School
Teviot Place
Edinburgh
EH8 9AG

Biography

Olivia earned a BA (Hons) in Physiology from Trinity College Dublin in 2014, focusing on neural movement principles and interhemispheric inhibition of the motor cortices. Her passion for medical sciences led her to study midwifery before transitioning into education through an MSc in Human Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh. As part of her MSc, she conducted research on the neuromuscular junction with Prof. Tom Gillingwater and Mr. Ross Jones.

 

Teaching Overview

She began her teaching career at the University of Birmingham a wide range of medical and biomedical students in anatomy. Alongside teaching, she researched medical education, particularly student experiences and technology-enhanced learning, earning a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Subsequently, Olivia worked with 3D4Medical, developing medical education applications, 3D anatomy models, and online learning resources. Passionate about delivering engaging and accurate educational content, she continues to explore innovative teaching methods and research in medical education.

Since joining Anatomy at Edinburgh University in 2020, she has been actively involved in teaching and education provision. With six years of experience in anatomy education, she has designed and delivered lectures and small-group teaching sessions for undergraduate and postgraduate students across various disciplines, including medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences. Her teaching covers gross and clinical anatomy, neuroanatomy, and histology, with a particular emphasis on prosection-based laboratory teaching in a supported self-directed learning environment. She is also involved in creating, administering, and evaluating various assessments, including spotter exams, viva voce, and written tests for multiple anatomy-related degree programs.

In 2022, Olivia took on the role of Course Organiser for the MSc Human Anatomy’s Teaching Anatomy course. This 20-credit postgraduate course integrates theoretical and practical aspects of medical education, with a strong focus on anatomy instruction. She has transformed this course to align the taught principles with those required for the future anatomy teacher, with the aim to best equip our students for a career in education.

Tying in with her experience in midwifery, Olivia has established a research stream in the field of reproductive biology and has supervised numerous under- and post-graduate student projects. Her research focuses on the impact of microplastics on reproductive tissues and analysing the impact of fixatives on gonadal tissue to determine their potential role in advancing reproductive research. 

 

Active UG and PG Research Projects

  • The Impact of Microplastics on Female Mammalian Fertility.
  • An evaluation of the effects of polyethylene and polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on pregnancy in mammalian models and humans.
  • Assessing the impacts of microplastic and nano plastic exposure on the risk of pregnancy related illnesses and foetal development.
  • Evaluating the efficacy of a novel method for assessing the effects of fixatives on human testicular tissue.

 

Publications

Earle Derek Abrahamson, Patricia Smith, Olivia Murray (2025) Exploring Interprofessional Learning in Musculoskeletal Anatomy: Insights from Physiotherapy and Podiatry Students. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 7 (1), pp. 95-104. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.202529450

Sproule, J., (2024) Oxford Resources for IB DP Sports, Exercise and Health Science: Course eBook. Oxford University Press-Children. ISBN: 978-1382042642 Authored p 2-77, 252-307

Ines Boehm, Abrar Alhindi, Ana S. Leite, Chandra Logie, Alyssa Gibbs, Olivia Murray, Rizwan Farrukh et al. (2020) Comparative anatomy of the mammalian neuromuscular junction. Journal of anatomy 237, no. 5: 827-836. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13260

Ahmad Elmansouri, Olivia Murray, Samuel Hall, and Scott Border (2020). TEL methods used for the learning of clinical neuroanatomy. In Biomedical Visualisation, pp. 43-73. Springer, Cham, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47483-6_4

Olivia Murray, Lydia Boynton, Andrew Marken, Aaron Murray, Revers Donga, Janice Marshall (2019). Disparity in expectation and engagement across student cohorts within anatomical education. Journal of Anatomy. Presented at IFAA 2019.

Andrew Marken, Olivia Murray, Lydia Boynton, Aaron Murray, Revers Donga, Janice Marshall (2019). Evaluating university students’ opinions on the use of personal electronic devices within small group anatomy teaching. Journal of Anatomy. Presented at IFAA 2019.

Kate Geoghegan, Olivia Murray, Shivani Rae, Matthew Myers, Selina Barry, Janet Philp, Oliver Dean, Deepika Anbu, Charlotte H Harrison, Ahmad Elmansouri, December Payne, Rob Parker, William Parton, Scott Border (2019). Student Perceptions of the Value of Academic Competition in Career Development. Journal of Anatomy. Presented at IFAA 2019.

Kate Geoghegan, Olivia Murray, Shivani Rae, Matthew Myers, Selina Barry, Oliver Dean, Janet Philp, Deepika Anbu, Charlotte H Harrison, Ahmad Elmansouri, December Payne, Rob Parker, William Parton, Scott Border (2019). The Value of Extracurricular Academic Competitions in the Development of Anatomical Education. Journal of Anatomy. Presented at IFAA 2019.

Alyssa Gibbs, Olivia Murray, Abduelmenem Alashkham (2018). Morphological variation of the coracoacromial ligament: implications for shoulder pathology. Journal of Anatomy. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12923.

Olivia Murray, Jamie Brockman, Alyssa Gibbs, Martin Lo, Abduelmenem Alashkham (2017). The incidence of additional slips and bilateral variation of levator scapulae. Journal of Anatomy. https://doi.org/10.1111/ joa.12806.

Alyssa Gibbs, Olivia Murray, Martin Lo, Jamie Brockman, Abduelmenem Alashkham (2017). Variation of the radial nerve in human cadavers. Journal of Anatomy. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12806.

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