NUNC 2025 | Healthcareleadership

The National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition

The 13th National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition, organised by NUNC in partnership with Medics.Academy and HLA, will be held on the 3rd of May 2025 at the University of Glasgow.

What is The National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition (NUNC) ?

This year, as part of developing young leaders in healthcare, the HLA and Medics.Academy has partnered with NUNC to widen the access to this long standing competition and allowing medical students and undergraduates within the HLA and Medics.Academy community demonstrate their knowledge and commitment towards Neuroanatomy. As a result of this strategic partnership, the HLA will be supporting NUNC with organising the 13th National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition.

The day is divided into a morning of examinations comprising a 60-question SBA paper and a 31-station spotter examination, all based on gross neuroanatomy and its clinical application. The afternoon comprises a workshop and various talks from experts in the fields, ranging from their career paths to interesting case studies and research. Both pre-clinical and clinical undergraduate students with a strong anatomical component in their degrees are welcome and encouraged to participate.

The competition has now been running for the past 12 years, the first 10 of which were spent at the University of Southampton. NUNC relocated to the University of Glasgow in Spring of 2022, following Professor Border’s appointment as Glasgow University’s Head of Anatomy. NUNC has attracted a total of 371 students from 29 of 33 UK medical schools, and it has become increasingly popular with each subsequent competition.

Image Credit: Leo Libero | Instagram: @LeoLibero

Get Your Ticket for NUNC 2025!

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be a part of the 13th National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition! Enhance your knowledge, strengthen your CV, and connect with like-minded students and professionals. Secure your spot for this exciting and educational event by purchasing your ticket today!

Buy Your Ticket Here

Meet Our Guest Speakers

Thomas Gillingwater - Professor of Anatomy at The University of Edinburgh

Tom graduated from the University of Leeds with an Honours degree in Human Biology [Anatomy] in 1998 and was awarded a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Edinburgh in 2001. He was appointed to a Lectureship in Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh in 2004, promoted to a personal chair in 2010, and became the 15th Professor of Anatomy in 2015 (the Chair of Anatomy was founded in 1705).

Tom’s research combines high-resolution imaging with molecular profiling to explore the nervous system in health and during disease, with a particular interest in motor neuron diseases (including SMA and ALS). He has secured more than £11 million in research funding and has published >190 papers in a variety of leading journals. Tom has supervised or co-supervised more than 40 PhD and MSc students. He served as Editor-in-Chief at the Journal of Anatomy from 2011 to 2022.

Tom graduated from Edinburgh University Business School with an MBA in 2006, is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Royal Society of Biology and the Royal Microscopical Society, and an Honorary Fellow of the Anatomical Society.

Mr Parameswaran S. Bhattathiri

Mr. Parameswaran S. Bhattathiri completed his M.B.B.S. at Government Medical College, Trivandrum, India, followed by postgraduate training in General Surgery and Neurosurgery at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, earning an MCh in Neurosurgery. He was appointed Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the same institution.

He then moved to Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, where he joined the STICH International Trial Team, obtained a Neurosurgery Fellowship, and became a Consultant after completing Neuro-Oncology training with Dr. Guha (late) at Western General Hospital, Toronto, Canada. After a brief tenure as a Consultant Neurosurgeon at the American Hospital, Dubai, U.A.E., he joined the Institute of Neurosciences at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, as a Consultant Neurosurgeon. Currently, he is one of the Senior Neurosurgery Consultants at the Institute of Neurosciences, Glasgow, and serves as Chairman of the Department, specialising in Complex Skull Base Pathologies.

Mr. Bhattathiri holds an MBA from Strathclyde Business School and has held several leadership roles, including Chairman of the National Implementation Group for Terminal Illness Disability Assistance (Scottish Government), Specialty Advisor for the Chief Medical Officer of Scotland, and Clinical Lead for the Department of Neurosurgery in Glasgow.

Professor Scott Border - Co-founder and Director of NUNC Head of Anatomy, University of Glasgow

Meet Our Team

Professor Scott Border is currently chair of the education committee for the Anatomical Society where he selects and works with a national committee to deliver anatomical education strategies. An elected council member of the Anatomical Society and a Fellow of The Society, he has been an assessor for the Anatomical Society’s Anatomy Training Programme (ATP) for over four years, which is a scheme aimed at training future anatomy educators in the US and UK.

A selected reviewer for Anatomical Sciences Education, Professor Border has also reviewed numerous times for Medical Sciences Educator, BMC Medical Education, Clinical Anatomy, The Journal of Anatomy, Medical Education Online and The European Journal of Anatomy. Between 2015-2018, he was an external examiner at St Georges for the pre-clinical years of their four-year MBBS degree programme and is currently external examiner at Oxford University.

Manon Gervais - President of NUNC

Hi, my name is Manon, I am a 4th year medical student at the University of Glasgow and a BSc Anatomy graduate. I am the current president for the National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition.

I have been involved with the competition for the past 3 years, once as a participant, as Vice President and now as President. It is an honour to lead such an enthusiastic team of fellow neuroanatomy lovers this year. I have nurtured an interest in the fields of neurology and neurosurgery from an early age. Both captivate me because they blend problem solving with a necessary deep understanding of anatomy, allowing to connect structure to function in pursuit of accurate diagnoses. I am drawn to the precision required in both diagnosis and treatment, where every decision can profoundly impact a patient’s life. These fields fuel my curiosity and passion for unravelling the complexities of the brain while applying scientific knowledge to real
world medical challenges.When I am not doing medicine, I enjoy going to my dancing classes, painting and the occasional pottery class.

I hope anyone who is interested in neuroanatomy decides to partake in the competition as it is a wonderful networking and humanely rich experience,I am looking forward to meeting you all.

Isabelle Choong En Xin - Vice President

I am a third-year medical student with an interest in paediatric neurology. The human brain is just fascinating, with so much yet to explore and discover. When I am not doing medicine, I enjoy travelling and cafe hopping. This is my 2nd year organising the competition and I look forward to seeing you all there!

Ellie - Speaker Coordinator

Hi, I’m Ellie, a 3rd-year medical student at Glasgow. I love neuro because it can be so logical, and there’s nothing more rewarding than piecing things together and understanding how the brain works. In my free time, I enjoy knitting, crocheting, running, and getting lost in a good book.

Thea Mahbubani - Secretary

I am a second-year medical student at the University of Galway in Ireland and an aspiring neurosurgeon. Shadowing neurological departments and working with Aphasia patients has deepened my passion and understanding for the intricate relationship between brain function and communication.
Passionate about medical education and patient centred care, I am driven to bridge the gap between neuroscience and clinical practice, making significant contributions to the understanding of Neuroanatomy.

Deema - Dissection Lead

I’m Deema, a third-year medical student at the University of Glasgow and NUNC’s Dissection Lead. Yes, I spend some of my time in the dissection lab surrounded by cadavers, but I have to say, the human body is a truly captivating entity. Each structure,
no matter how niche, plays a fundamental role in maintaining a healthy functioning body. However, the brain stands out as the most complex and fascinating of all. My passion stems from its dynamic nature, not only does the brain control basic physiological processes, but it also shapes our personality,memories and perception of the world.

Riya Philip - Welfare and Sponsorship officer

My name is Riya, I am in my 4th year of my Medicine degree, and I love neuroanatomy for how beautifully intricate it can be and think it is incredible that such little pieces have the ability to let us live our lives the way we know it. In my spare time, I love reading, writing and taking silly little photos of the world around me.