Prof. Emeritus Bernard Moxham Cardiff University, UK

Bernard Moxham was a Professor of Anatomy at Cardiff from 1990 to 2013, Dean of Health and Life Sciences at Cardiff from 1994 to 1999, and Deputy Director of the Cardiff School of Biosciences from 1998 to 2013. He has been President of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and... read moreIreland (AS), of the European Federation for Experimental Morphology (EFEM), and of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA). He started in 2004 the Trans-European Pedagogic Anatomical Research Group (TEPARG), based in Paris. He founded the journal Aging Cell which is the journal for reporting on the biology of ageing that now has the highest scientific impact for this line of research. He has been a Visiting Researcher/Professor in association with universities at Gothenburg, Dunedin, Thessaloniki, Lisbon and St George’s Medical School (Grenada) and an educational advisor at Barcelona.

Initially, his research interests focussed primarily upon craniofacial biology, investigating the structure, function, ageing and pathophysiology of the connective tissues in and around the mouth. He also conducted research into craniofacial development and congenital abnormalities. The main achievements of this research were: the elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for the eruption of teeth, for the resistance of teeth to masticatory loads, and for the elevation of palatal shelves during palate development. By reporting on the embryonic features of the periodontal ligament, the presence in this tissue of embryonic stem cells has been discovered. His laboratory investigations also helped clarify the important role of folates in the prevention of congenital malformations.

Professor Moxham always enjoyed teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, whether in the biological sciences or in professional healthcare studies. His teaching covered both scientific topics and matters related to the history, culture and philosophy of science. Over the past 15 years, he has developed a profound interest in pedagogic research related to the biomedical sciences, believing that curricular changes must be evidence-based. He has also engaged in work relating to the philosophy, ethics and sociology of the biomedical sciences and to the analysis of attitude and assessment of personality in psychology (as applied to the biomedical sciences/professions). He has a major involvement in medical humanities and the arts, recently gaining funding to curate a fine art exhibition during the Venice Biennale.

The total number of his publications exceeds 350 and includes 16 textbooks and 2 research monographs. His research has been funded by the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, the Leverhulme Trust, the Arts and Humanities Arts Research Council, and the Arts Council of England.