I was recently invited to the ‘300 Faces of Edinburgh Medical School’ launch event. Marking the 300th anniversary of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, this exhibition celebrates the people who have made inspirational contributions to the school.
I am honoured, elated, and humbled to be included in an outdoor photographic exhibition at the Mound, Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival.
I’m particularly grateful to the organisers for acknowledging my educational blogging and charitable fundraising efforts related to my own sight loss.
After losing vision in my left eye, the charity Sight Scotland played an integral part in my recovery, supporting my mental wellbeing with compassion and practical advice via their free helpline. Without them, I’m not sure I’d have returned to work at the university.
I’d like to take this opportunity to try and raise £300 for this remarkable charity. Donate if you can to my JustGiving fundraiser via the following link (100% goes directly to Sight Scotland):
300 years of medicine
2026 marks 300 years of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. This exhibition celebrates the people who have shaped Edinburgh Medical School.
In 2025, University of Edinburgh students, staff and alumni were invited to nominate a person who has made an inspirational contribution to Edinburgh Medical School to be included in a collection of 300 faces.
The Mound Exhibition
A selection of these faces (including my cheeky chops) are now on display at the Mound Precinct in Edinburgh city centre for the next six weeks (until 26th April). This is an exciting collaboration with the Edinburgh Science Festival. After that, you can see them on the Portobello Promenade (29 April to 14 June).
Edinburgh Science Festival (300 Faces page)
The fact my profile photo is one taken by my mum just seals the deal. My family is so proud of me, and I know my dad would have been over the moon to see how his wee boy made a positive difference.
N.B. Tap on any photo to see a larger version.
Stewart Cromar (panel story)
In his role as e-learning developer, Stewart was a pivotal member of the award-winning team that created the first online learning resources for medical students. With an eye for design and curiosity for medical subject matter, he created visually appealing, user-friendly teaching materials, quizzes and online resources for staff and students.
In 2005, Stewart and colleagues were awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for a virtual online hospital, which allowed teaching staff to deliver online medical learning activities.
Stewart is registered partially-sighted and fundraises for several charities. He publishes a blog to help others understand his sight loss journey and is a renowned amateur Lego designer, often using Braille bricks in his creations.
Extraordinary educators
Here are my esteemed neighbours on our ‘extraordinary educators’ panel:
Tom Gillingwater
Tom is a professor at the University of Edinburgh, leading the Anatomy Department. He has trained thousands of undergraduate and postgraduate students, instilling anatomy as a key part of their knowledge and skills.
Tom researches motor neuron disease. His work has led to a better understanding of neurological disorders and clinical trials for new treatments.
Gertrude Herzfeld
One of the first female surgeons to work in Scotland and the first female paediatric surgeon, Gertrude studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and spent most of her career in the city.
In the 1920s and 30s, she held several medical appointments in Edinburgh, including consultant surgeon at the Bruntsfield Hospital for Women and the first female honorary assistant surgeon at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children. She became a full surgeon there in 1925.
Gertrude Herzfeld (Wikipedia page)
Alexander Monro (secundus)
A Scottish anatomist, physician and medical educator, Alexander Monro is typically known as “secundus” to distinguish him as the second of three generations of doctors with the same name.
Born in 1733, Alexander attended the University of Edinburgh when he was only 12 years old, taking courses in philosophy before later embarking on medical training.
Alexander Monro (Wikipedia page)
Yvonne Odey
Yvonne is a lecturer in reproductive biology and a course organiser on the MBChB medicine degree.
She played a leading role in the redesign of course content and collaborated with colleagues to deliver a new birthing practical module and new forms of assessment.
‘300 years of medicine’ website
All 300 individuals have photos and biographies on a dedicated University of Edinburgh website.
N.B. All names will be published by the end of April.
300 Faces of Edinburgh Medical School
Colleagues and historical figures
It’s wonderful to see so many people, my team and I have worked with over the years, also nominated: Ruthanne Baxter, Baljean Dhillon, Gordon Findlater, Liz Grant, Euan MacDonald, Suvankar Pal, and Janet Skinner.
For us all to be included in a list of contributors alongside Charles Darwin, Elsie Inglis, Joseph Lister, and Sophia Jex-Blake is a wonderful celebration.
Charity fundraiser
I’m particularly grateful to the organisers for acknowledging my educational blogging and charitable fundraising efforts related to my own sight loss.
After losing vision in my left eye, Sight Scotland played an integral part in my recovery, supporting my mental wellbeing with compassion and practical advice via their free helpline. Without them, I’m not sure I’d have returned to work at the university.
I’d like to take this opportunity to try and raise £300 for this remarkable charity. Donate if you can to my JustGiving fundraiser via the following link (100% goes directly to Sight Scotland). Please include Gift Aid if possible.
Sight Scotland
Sight Scotland offer specialist support and advice to individuals and families living with sight loss. They are dedicated to empowering people with visual impairments to lead fulfilling lives.
Upcoming charity Lego shows
Lastly, if you’d like to see some of my Lego creations with Braille bricks, I’ll be at two upcoming charitable shows: Fife Bricks (Dunfermline – 25th April) and Edinbrick (Edinburgh – 9th & 10th May). Buy your tickets online today!
Buy Fife Bricks tickets (link coming soon)
Related posts
Sharing My Story (9 March 2025)
Five Years of Sight Loss (22 January 2025)
Braille Bricks (29 February 2024)
Disclaimer
Please note this is a personal fundraiser for Sight Scotland, and is not officially endorsed or associated with Edinburgh Medical School or the University of Edinburgh.
Image credits
Edinburgh Medical School 300 images are Copyright © The University of Edinburgh 2026.
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