Emeritus Professor Ian Gibbins

Emeritus Professor

College of Medicine and Public Health

+61 8 8204 5271

ian.gibbins@flinders.edu.au

Health Sciences

GPO Box 2100, ADELAIDE, SA, 5001

Ian retired in March 2014, having been at Flinders since 1984, and Professor of Anatomy and Histology from 1993. His research on the microscopic structure and function of autonomic and visceral sensory nerves has been internationally recognised, accruing more than 4,500 citations. Ian taught extensively across a wide range of courses, covering anatomy, biomechanics, neuroscience and embryology. He played a large role in the development of the Graduate Entry Medical Program and coordinated a ground-breaking course in the neuroscience of learning for school teachers.

Ian has much "public science", especially in the fields of neuroscience and anatomy, often in collaboration with artists. He is a widely published poet and electronic musician. Post-retiremnet, these activities will be his major focus.

For Ian's creative work, see: http://www.iangibbins.com.au and http://www.facebook.com/IanGibbins.poetry.music.science

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) in Zoology, University of Melbourne, 1977
PhD in Zoology, University of Melbourne, 1981
Fil.dr (h.c) [honorary doctorate], University of Gothenburg, Sweden, 1995

Honours, awards and grants

Burns-Alpers Clinical Teaching Award, 2002
Lawrie Austin Plenary Lecture on Neurochemistry, Australian Neuroscience Society, 2006
Flinders University Staff Award for Outstanding Contribution to the University, 2007
National Science Week Unsung Hero of Science Communication (with Marcello Costa), 2008
Bren Gannon Award for Excellence and Dedication to Teaching, 2009, from Flinders Medical Students Society

Emeritus Professor, 2014.

Teaching interests

I am no longer actively teaching. During my time at Flinders, I had major teaching and curriculum development into:

Years 1&2 of the Graduate Entry Medical Program, especially in Musculo-skeletal System, Brain & Behaviour, Embryology, and Introductory Anatomy & Histology.
Bachelor of Biomedical Science, especially Year 3 "Body Systems" and Laboratory Placements
Graduate Certificate in Neuroscience (Learning), an innovative program about neuroscience primarily for school teachers which ran from 2006-2010.

My teaching focused on innovative content, assessment and delivery methods to engage the students with material that is interesting and relevant. In 2010, I had a Teaching and Learning Innovation Grant, with Artist in Residence, Catherine Truman, to find out how students interact with the complex learning environment in Anatomy teaching. This work continued in 2011 funded by an ANAT/Synapse grant and has formed the basis of on-going art-science collaborative projects.

Professional engagement

Science and Art
Regular public lectures, performances and installations, often in collaboration with artists, including:
    With Body in Mind, Flinders Medical Centre, 2007.
    Body, Brain and the New Science of Communication, Australian Book Review Lecture, 2007.
   Poetic Science: bodies, brains and the art of experimentation, with Natasha Mitchell, ABC Radio National All in the Mind 2008.
    Not Absolute, installation including video, sounds & texts with Catherine Truman, Judy Morris, Flinders University City Gallery, 2009.
   Playing with Your Mind, with Ronnie Taheny, Marcello Costa, Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, 2009.
   Anatomy & Imagination, Royal Institution, Australia, 2010.
   Poetry installations at RiAus (2009), Flinders Medical Centre (2005, 2009) and Bowen Street, Adelaide (2012).
Regular reviews of science books for Australian Book Review.

Poetry and music
Full length collection of poetry, Urban Biology, published by Friendly Street Poets / Wakefield Press in 2012, with CD.
Poems published in Australian Book Review, Blue Dog, Going Down Swinging, Cordite Poetry Review, Blast, Page Seventeen, Transnational Literature, Southerly, Friendly Street Poets, Australian Poetry Anthology, InDaily, ditch (Canada), Recours au PoÃ¨me (France), Famous Reporter, Etchings, Inflectionist Review.
Poems finalists or commendations in national competitions including Australian Book Review, Newcastle Poetry Prize, Max Harris Poetry Award, Page Seventeen.
Poem (Field Guide) selected for Best Australian Poems 2008.
Audio-poems published in Going Down Swinging 30th Anniversary Edition CD; broadcast on ABC Radio National Poetica, January 2011; cordite poetry review.
Commissioned text for Australian Dance Theatre's "Be Your Self" premiered at Adelaide Festival of the Arts 2010 and toured Europe January-March 2011; contributed text to ADT's 2012 Adelaide Festival production, Proximity.
Electronic music produced as niteshifter performed widely.
Poet-in-Residence, Adelaide City Library, March 2014.

Expert for media contact

Anatomy

Autonomic nerves

Embryology

Microscopy

Neuroscience

Poetry

Art and science collaborations.

Autonomic Nerves

Cultural History of Anatomy

Embryology

General Anatomy