TMP Seminar Presentation: Building Safer Learning Spaces: Humanistic and Trauma-Informed Approaches in Anatomy Education

The Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology welcomes Dr. Jessica Byram, Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology and Assistant Director of the Phase 1 Curriculum at Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, to WSU Spokane on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

She will be providing her seminar at 10:00 AM, “Building Safer Learning Spaces: Humanistic and Trauma-Informed Approaches in Anatomy Education”, in SAC 147 and via Zoom.

Jessica Byram, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology and Assistant Director of the Phase 1 Curriculum at Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN. She is the director of the Anatomy & Physiology Education Track PhD Program. She teaches histology, embryology, and gross anatomy to undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. Her research interests include professional identity formation across the medical education spectrum and the integration of non-traditional discipline-independent skills into anatomy education.

This seminar will explore innovative approaches to integrating humanistic and trauma-informed principles into gross anatomy education. We will explore how integrating pathology and histopathology into anatomy curricula can deepen students’ understanding of disease and foster professional identity formation. Additionally, we will discuss the challenges learners face in the anatomy laboratory, particularly when prior trauma intersects with dissection experiences, and how trauma-informed medical education (TIME) strategies can create safer, more supportive learning environments. Attendees will gain insights into curricular design that promote empathy and clinical relevance while addressing the emotional complexities of anatomy education.

Join us in SAC 147 or via Zoom.