A new morgue being planned for Dundee will be named after a leading crime writer.
The public will be asked to vote for their favourites from a list of authors when they make a donation towards the Million for a Morgue Campaign.
Professor Sue Black and colleagues at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) at Dundee University are leading the morgue project to allow them to adopt the Thiel method of embalming.
It gives surgeons, dentists and medical researchers a more realistic method of testing and practising techniques and developing new procedures. The university has committed £1.5 million to the project but another £1 million needs to be found.
The public will be entitled to one vote for their favourite crime writer for every pound they donate. When the target is reached, the votes will be counted and the winning author will have the new centre named after him or her.
The link-up between the morgue project and the writers came about through the friendship between novelist Val McDermid and Professor Black.
”All crime writers rely on the help of professionals like Sue to make sure we get the details right. Giving a bit of help back in return is the least we can do,” the writer said.
The project has also the support of authors Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Jeff Lindsay, Stuart MacBride, Tess Gerritsen, Kathy Reichs and Mark Billingham.
The university says the morgue will allow it to become the first in the UK to exclusively adopt the Thiel method and it is envisaged it will change the face of scientific, medical and dental research and training.
It will be the first phase of plans for a Forensic Centre of Excellence at the university, building on the national and international standing of CAHID.For more information visit www.millionforamorgue.com