From September 2026, the University’s Stopford Building became home to Student Body, a new exhibition from the Museum of Medicine and Health that brings together student experience, science, medicine and history. Through historical artefacts and digital content, it explores the people, innovation and discoveries shaped the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, past and present.

Student Body uses three themes, Head, Heart and Movement, to examine the experiences, ideas and ambitions that connect generations of learners, educators and researchers.

Drawing on the Faculty’s rich heritage, the exhibition showcases just some of the objects from the museum’s collection, many of which continue to support teaching, research and public engagement today. 

Connecting people, place and discovery

The exhibition is located in one of the University’s most recognisable buildings. Named after Sir John Sebastian Bach Stopford, the building opened in 1973 as the home of medical and health sciences education in Manchester. Student Body continues that story by highlighting the people and discoveries that have contributed to the Faculty’s ongoing impact.

A space for reflection and engagement

The exhibition forms part of a wider effort to enhance spaces across the Faculty and create opportunities for meaningful engagement with our shared history and social responsibility ambitions.

This exhibition is kindly supported by the family of Dr Bill Beswick (1925 – 2019) and has been made possible by the generous work of many Faculty students and colleagues. 

The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore how science, people and place have shaped the Faculty’s past and continue to influence its future.