Press Releases & Statements 2008

BODY WORLDS 3 Enters Final Weeks

Museum Offers Visitor Tips

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 1, 2008—With just over six weeks left, The Leonardo expects Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart, to see more visitors than ever as the exhibition winds up its run in Salt Lake City.

BODY WORLDS is the most successful traveling exhibition of all time, attracting over 26 million

visitors in 47 cities throughout the world. BODY WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart, which has been on display at The Leonardo since Sept. 19, features over 200 authentic human specimens that offer profound insights into the human body, health and disease.
To ensure visitors have the best possible experience at BODY WORLDS 3, The Leonardo offers the following helpful information and tips:

Hours: Tickets to BODY WORLDS 3 are available every day beginning at 10 a.m., with the last ticket sold each day at 7 p.m. The Leonardo closes at 9 p.m. Opening times may change due to demand. Check www.theleonardo.org for the most current information.

Timed Tickets: Entry to BODY WORLDS 3 is through a timed ticket system. Tickets are sold in 30 minute blocks for a specific date and time. Once purchased, visitors can exchange tickets for a different time and date, but only if they make the exchange PRIOR to the date and time listed on the ticket. Visitors may enter the exhibition during the 30 minute window beginning at the time printed on their ticket. For example, if a visitor has a ticket for Dec. 5 at 3:30 p.m., they may enter the exhibit between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Dec. 5.

Plan Ahead: BODY WORLDS 3 at The Leonardo sells out often on the weekends, and it is common for the exhibition to get busier as the end of the run approaches. With this in mind, The Leonardo recommends pre-purchasing tickets. Visitors can do so online at www.theleonardo.org, by phone at 1-888-695-0888, or at The Leonardo Box Office, 209 East 500 South in downtown Salt Lake City. Service charges apply. BODY WORLDS 3 runs through January 11, 2009.

Visitor Preferences: If you prefer to visit BODY WORLDS 3 during a time that is less busy, The Leonardo recommends purchasing a ticket between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. However, because BODY WORLDS is a major cultural event, The Leonardo cannot guarantee any particular day or time will not be busy.

Plenty of Time: The average visitor dwell time is 90 minutes. However, visitors often take much longer to experience the entire exhibition. Audio guides tend to significantly increase the amount of time visitors spend in the exhibit. Please allow yourself ample time to view BODY WORLDS 3.

Other Questions:  The Leonardo website, www.theleonardo.org, features information about tickets, opening hours, parking, special programs and events, group sales, and more. Please visit the website often, or call 801/220-1100 prior to coming to BODY WORLDS 3 to ensure the best experience possible.

Media Contacts:
The Leonardo, Lisa Davis, 801/230-9399, lisadjames(at)att.net
BODY WORLDS, Natalie Lesly, 801/937-4188, n.lesly(at)bw.plastination.com 

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 24, 2008—Visitors to Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart are presented with real human specimens that offer an unparalleled view inside the human body and the complex anatomical systems functioning beneath our skin. This opportunity would not be possible without the generosity of individuals, who declared that upon their death, their bodies could be used in the exhibition for educational purposes.

Salt Lake City resident, Vanessa Bello, 27, is one of the first three donors in Utah. Her interest in human anatomy extends beyond BODY WORLDS, having worked in the medical field for eight years. Ever since Bello first saw the exhibition in 2006, in Denver, she knew that she wanted to donate.

“Once I began to think about my own mortality, I decided that I wanted my body to be used in a more productive way,” said Bello. “By becoming a donor, I hope to educate the public about how the human body works and encourage people to take care of themselves. I want people to be able to learn from me, just as I have learned from the plastinates in BODY WORLDS.” Bello, a registered paramedic and autopsy technician, says that the exhibition has motivated her to get a master’s degree in pathology, studying the nature, progression and diagnosis of disease.

"BODY WORLDS 3 is a collaboration, a joint quest towards enlightenment between donor, anatomist, and visitor,” said exhibit creator, Dr. von Hagens.

Excluding a small number of specimens acquired from pathology collections and anatomical programs, the plastinated specimens on display in Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS exhibitions stem from a unique Body Donation Program established in Heidelberg, Germany in 1982, and later managed by the Institute for Plastination (IfP) in 1993. As of November 2008, the Institute for Plastination’s donor roster includes over 9,600 individuals worldwide who have declared their intent to donate their bodies, including 841 Americans.

BODY WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart features over 200 authentic human specimens that offer profound insights into the human body, health and disease. The exhibition will be on display until January 11, 2008  at The Leonardo, an educational and cultural center in downtown Salt Lake City. BODY WORLDS 3  at The Leonardo is presented by University Health Care, with major support from Zions Bank, Merit Medical, KSL and Media One.

To learn more about the exhibit, buy tickets, download learning guides, see images, or get directions, visit www.theleonardo.org, or call 1-888-695-0888.  

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MOSI announces Ticket Sales for the Florida Debut of Dr. Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart

BODY WORLDS advanced tickets on sale to the public Wednesday, November 12

TAMPA, FL—(November 12, 2008)—Beginning Wednesday, November 12, anyone can buy advanced tickets to see the most intriguing exhibition ever to visit Florida. MOSI announces ticket sales to the general public for the upcoming exhibition BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart, which opens for a limited-time engagement beginning Thursday, January 22, 2009.  The general public is encouraged to purchase tickets early due to a potential sell out.

Created by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart features more than 200 authentic specimens, including entire bodies, individual organs and transparent body slices. The exhibit is an unforgettable anatomy lesson that allows visitors to see and understand physiology and health, and gain new appreciation and respect for what it means to be human.This special presentation of BODY WORLDS includes a special feature on the  heart.

BODY WORLDS is a collaboration, a joint quest towards enlightenment between donor, anatomist and visitor. Over 26 million visitors in 47 cities across Asia, Europe, and North America have seen BODY WORLDS since its debut in Japan in 1995.

Beginning Nov. 12, tickets for BODY WORLDS will be available at www.mosi.org:
o    Non-member tickets, including general admission to MOSI:
o    $25.95 adults (13-59), $19.95 child (2-12), and $22.45 seniors (60+)
o    MOSI Member tickets, including general admission:
o    $16.00 adults (13-59), $12.00 child (2-12), and $13.50 seniors (60+)
o    For student field trips or group reservations, please call (813) 987-6000
For more information about the exhibition, Plastination or body donation, visit the MOSI Web site at www.mosi.org or www.bodyworlds.com.

About MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry)
MOSI is a not-for-profit, community-based institution and educational resource dedicated to advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, industry, and technology. With a total size of over 400,000 square feet, MOSI is the largest science center in the southeastern United States, and home to the only IMAX® Dome Theatre in the state of Florida. Kids In Charge! The Children’s Science Center at MOSI is the largest children’s science center in the nation. Disasterville, featuring WeatherQuest, combines education and 10,000 square feet of interactive exhibits on the science behind natural disasters.  MOSI’s newest permanent exhibition, The Amazing You, explores the intricate world of the beginning of life, childhood, and adolescence developmental life stages. For more information, visit www.mosi.org.

Press Information:            
Shani Jefferson   
MOSI, Museum of Science & Industry   
(813) 987-6080    Cell (813) 842-7788   
shanij(at)mosi.org           
                   
BODY WORLDS Contact Information:
Gail Vida Hamburg
Director of Communications
Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS
& Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg
(312) 602-5369
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com

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Tickets Available Now for Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 2 & The Brain—Our Three Pound Gem:The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies

Special Offer Available for Early-Ticket Purchases

San Diego; November 6, 2008—Tickets are now on sale for the first Southern California showing of Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 2 & The Brain—Our Three Pound Gem: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies. This unique and educational exhibition about human anatomy, physiology, and health gives guests an unprecedented view inside the human body. BODY WORLDS exhibitions have been enjoyed worldwide by over 26 million people. The exhibition will open at the San Diego Natural History Museum March 5, 2009, and will run for a limited engagement. Tickets may be purchased at http://tickets.sdnhm.org, from the Visitor’s Services Desks at the Museum, or by calling 877.946.7797. The Museum is offering a $2 discount on tickets purchased before December 21, 2008.

The exhibition will feature more than 200 real human body specimens, including more than 20 whole bodies and healthy and unhealthy organs, all preserved through a remarkable process called Plastination, invented by anatomist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens. As a result of his process, visitors to BODY WORLDS are able to see inside the human body, learn how it works and how it can be affected by disease and lifestyle choices.

BODY WORLDS is a unique joint work in science—a collaboration between anatomist, donors, and visitors. Since 1983, more than 8900 donors, including 175 from California, have bequeathed their bodies to serve educational purposes after death through Plastination.

BODY WORLDS 2 & The Brain—Our Three Pound Gem includes a special feature on the wonders of the brain—inspired by findings in neuroscience on brain development, function, disease, disorders, and brain performance and improvement. Dr. Michael Hager, the Museum’s President and CEO, says, “The Beijing Olympics have recently demonstrated just how exquisite the human body can be. Now, our visitors have an opportunity to see the most remarkable creature on Earth, revealed in its elegant design.”

The exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum will be accompanied with programming created by a panel of experts in the local medical community. The curatorial panel is: Dr. Hank Chambers, Medical Director, Cerebral Palsy Program, Rady Children’s Hospital; Sandra Garver, Lecturer in Biology, SDSU; Dr. William Quillin, retired physician specializing in obstetrics/gynecology; and Dr. Anne McCammon, neurologist.

About the San Diego Natural History Museum

Celebrating its 134th year, the San Diego Natural History Museum is the second oldest scientific institution in California; third west of the Mississippi. A binational Museum, its mission is to interpret the natural world through research, education, and exhibits; to promote understanding of the evolution and diversity of southern California and the peninsula of Baja California and to inspire in all a respect for nature and the environment. Located in Balboa Park at the intersection of Village Place and Park Blvd., the Museum is open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Phone: 619.232.3821. Website: www.sdnhm.org.

CONTACT:      
Delle Willett, Marketing Director
619.255.0244, dwillett@sdnhm.org
Or
Hallie Shere, Marketing Specialist/Publications and Public Programs
619.255.0189, hshere@sdnhm.org 

‘Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time’ Opens Tomorrow at London’s O2 - 4 Oct 2008 - 23 Aug 2009

New Edition of BODY WORLDS Exhibition Features a special Presentation on the Human Life Cycle and Ageing

LONDON (23rd October, 2008) – BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time, the new exhibition from physician and pioneering anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens, makes its world premiere at The O2 bubble tomorrow, Friday 24 October, 2008.  It features a special presentation on the human life cycle and more than 200 plastinates – specimens preserved through Plastination, the remarkable scientific process invented and perfected by Dr. von Hagens. The exhibition will run until 23 August 2009.

In partnership with the producers of the sensational Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, AEG and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time is the latest instalment of groundbreaking anatomical exhibitions by the trailblazing scientist and features a special presentation on the human life cycle and ageing by exhibition designer, Dr. Angelina Whalley.

The exhibition shows the complexity, resilience and vulnerability of the human body through anatomical studies of the body in distress, disease and optimal health. The brand new exhibition includes many human and animal specimens unseen in the UK, including a full-sized giraffe and an ostrich.

Dr. von Hagens commented; "I invented plastination when I was 32 - half a life ago - so I could teach people about the human body and show them its full potential.  Now that I am in my 60s, it seemed a natural progression to use my science to present, in BODY WORLDS, the secrets of vitality, longevity and well-being."
 
The displays and installations in BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time take visitors on a journey of self discovery, showing the body living through time - at its most radiant, as it changes, grows, matures, peaks and finally wanes. It includes a stunning look at conception and "ageing" during pre-natal development and a homage to the creativity of young people which shows the developing teen brain from infancy and childhood to adolescence. 

Other highlights that will captivate and educate visitors of all ages include:

The Fast Forward Face Transformer - two 'age progression' displays, developed by Perception Lab at St. Andrews University, Scotland, which allow visitors to view firsthand the effects of smoking and obesity on ageing, as well as the effects of natural ageing.  With the help of a web camera, the visitor's face is captured in real time and the photograph can then show one of three variations; natural ageing over the course of a lifetime; ageing over a lifetime due to smoking, and ageing when marked by obesity.  The results are dramatic.

Centennial Village - findings on geographic clusters around the world inhabited by the oldest living people - from Okinawa, Japan and Ovodda in Sardinia to the Hunza region of Pakistan.

My Life in Pictures - a chronicle of real people in the UK photographed throughout their lives - reiterating the exhibition's premise of the body as a ‘mirror of time’.

The Artists' Gaze - a striking display about sight and vision that presents computer simulations of the vision of Impressionist painters Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, who suffered from cataract and retinal eye diseases. 

David Campbell, Chief Executive of AEG Europe, said: “I’m delighted The O2 is showcasing Dr. Gunther von Hagens’ latest exhibition in the BODY WORLDS series. When a BODY WORLDS exhibition last ran in London between 2002 - 2003, it drew more than 800,000 visitors and no doubt it will prove just as popular this time round.  Nowadays we are even more aware of, and keen to understand how, lifestyle choices can affect our health, so we expect this new exhibition, BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time will be extremely popular - becoming one of London’s must-see attractions.”

BODY WORLDS is the only anatomical exhibition with an established body donation programme through which individuals grant informed consent that their bodies can be used in this way.For more information and to book tickets visit www.visitlondon.com/bodyworlds.

TICKET INFORMATION Single Tickets
•    Adults: £12 (Friday – Sunday £14)
•    Children ages 6-17: £8.00  (Friday – Sunday: £9.50)
•    Concessions £9.00 (Friday – Sunday: £10.50)
•    Family (2 adult, 2 children) £29 (Friday – Sunday: £34)

Schools and groups discounts available

Tickets are timed and dated and admission is 10 a.m. - 6.30 p.m. daily (8.30pm Thursdays). Due to high ticket demand, advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. To book tickets and for more information, visit www.visitlondon.com/bodyworlds or call 0844 844 0003. Tickets also can be purchased at The O2 box office.

About BODY WORLDS:
Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS are the only public anatomical exhibitions that stem from an established body donation program and use donated bodies. BODY WORLDS exhibitions have opened to critical acclaim in 47 cities worldwide and more than 26 million visitors across Asia, Europe, and North America have experienced the exhibition since its debut in Japan in 1996.

URL: www.visitlondon.com/bodyworlds

For further information, please contact:
The BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time press office: 0870 990 5408 / bodyworlds(at)golinharris.com
Sophie Smith (07812 214 342) / Sarah Williams (07834 073 653)

BODY WORLDS Contact:
pressoffice(at)plastination.com  

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Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 2 & The BRAIN – Our Three Pound Gem—
An All New Exhibition on the Brain and its mysteries

New exhibition opening Sept. 12 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science

HOUSTON— In 2006, more than half a million people visited the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 3. Following this extraordinary success, Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 2 & The BRAIN – Our Three Pound Gem: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies debuts in Houston Sept. 12, 2008 through Feb. 22, 2009. Exhibition tickets are available beginning Wednesday, July 30.

In keeping with his mission of educating lay people, Dr. Gunther von Hagens and his wife, Dr. Angelina Whalley, have created a holistic meditation on the brain that merges anatomy, neuroscience, and philosophy that resonates with everyone. “The brain is an incredible marvel of engineering. I wanted people to recognize what is known about this amazing gem inside our heads, and be awed by its possibilities and capacities,” said Dr. von Hagens. “We wanted to present this most complex organ in a way that was accessible to the general public, and in the most elegant way,” said Dr. Whalley, a physician who planned the BODY WORLDS exhibitions that have been seen so far by more than 25 million people worldwide.

BODY WORLDS 2 & The BRAIN– Our Three Pound Gem features the latest neuroscience findings on brain development and function; brain disease and disorders; and brain performance and improvement. The exhibit also incorporates 200 real human body specimens, including more than 20 full-body specimens in life-like, dramatic poses; healthy and unhealthy organs; body parts and slices—all preserved through a remarkable process called Plastination.
“We are thrilled to present another opportunity for people to experience this amazing exhibition, learn more about one of our most important organs, and hopefully, be inspired to make positive lifestyle-changes and improve their health,” said Joel A. Bartsch, president of the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

The Process of Plastination

During Plastination, all bodily fluids and soluble fats are replaced with reactive resins and elastomers such as silicon rubber and epoxy, through vacuum-forced impregnation. After gas, heat, or light curing, the specimens assume rigidity and permanence. “The purpose of Plastination from its very inception was a scientific one, to educate medical students.  But the interest that laypeople had in the plastinated specimens inspired me to think of creating public exhibitions, which was followed by the realization that I had to offer a heightened sense of aesthetics, to avoid shocking the public and to capture their imagination,” said von Hagens.

The striking whole-body plastinates in BODY WORLDS 2—people who in their lifetime donated their bodies for Plastination for the express purpose of educating future generations about health—allow viewers to see inside the staggeringly complex and completely interconnected network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up our bodies.  To date, more than 8,500 people have agreed to donate their bodies to BODY WORLDS for Plastination and use in the exhibits. 

Tickets and Availability    
Tickets for entrance into the exhibit between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. are $25 for adults; $21 for children (3-11), seniors (62+) and students with a valid college ID; $17 Museum members; $7.50 school groups; and $20 for groups of 20 or more.  Special audio guides are also available at $5 for adults and $3 for children. For tickets, or more information, visit www.hmns.org or call 713-639-4629.

For more information about the exhibit, Plastination or body donation, visit www.bodyworlds.com

The Houston Museum of Natural Science—one of the nation’s most heavily attended museums—is a centerpiece of the Houston Museum District. With four floors of permanent exhibit halls, and the Wortham IMAX® Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and George Observatory and as host to world-class and ever-changing touring exhibitions, the Houston Museum has something to delight every age group. With such diverse and extraordinary offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at One Hermann Circle Drive in the heart of the Museum District, is always an adventure.

Photo: The Baseball Player, included in BODY WORLDS 2 & The BRAIN – Our Three Pound Gem. © Institute for Plastination.

Press Information
713-639-4604 or media(at)hmns.org 

Public Information
(713) 639-4629 or www.hmns.org

BODY WORLDS
Georgina Gomez
g.gomez(at)plastination.com or 213-291-9572

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World’s most popular exhibition extended in Manchester until 17th August to accommodate demand

MANCHESTER, UK, 12 June, 2008 – BODY WORLDS 4, The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies, is extending its run at the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), Manchester, by an additional 7 weeks in order to accommodate public demand. Originally scheduled to close on the 29th June, the exhibition will now run until the 17th August.

The exhibition, which has already achieved nearly 200,000 visitors, and which recently drew a record 20,000 visitors during half-term week, confirms BODY WORLDS 4 as MOSI’s most popular and highly attended exhibition to date.Dr Gunther von Hagens, a licensed physician and former researcher at the University of Heidelberg’s Anatomy and Pathology Department, invented Plastination in 1977, in an effort to improve the education of medical students. The BODY WORLDS exhibitions, which worldwide have drawn over 25 million visitors, now help both the medical community and the lay person to gain a new perspective on the inner beauty and workings of the human body.

Commenting on the extension, Tony Hill, Acting Director MOSI, said: ‘We are delighted to be extending this exhibition which provides an unparalleled platform for visitors to learn about anatomy, physiology, and the impact that lifestyle choices can have on our health. The extension will afford those people who have not yet had the chance to visit, the opportunity to have a great day out during the summer holiday period.’

Tying in with Manchester World Sport 08, BODY WORLDS 4 showcases muscle function in athletes through its use of Plastinates in sporting poses such as swimming, badminton, football and relay running. To see the living, running BODY WORLDS 4 Plastinate in motion, produced by driven, click on: http://www.bodyworlds.com/movies/bw4_paintedman.html

Notes to Editors:

About BODY WORLDS 4 www.bodyworlds.com
Dr Gunther von Hagens, a licensed physician and former researcher at the University of Heidelberg’s Anatomy and Pathology Department, invented Plastination in 1977, in an effort to improve the education of medical students. The exhibition emphasises the importance of healthy lifestyles, and includes several plastinates posed in sporting activities, such as badminton, running and jumping, to demonstrate muscle function. 

BODY WORLDS exhibitions – the original by leading scientist Dr Gunther von Hagens – are the only public anatomical presentations with an established Body Donation Programme. To date, more than 9,200 donors, including 103 from Britain, have generously registered to donate their bodies for Plastination and use in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions, to specifically educate future generations about health. BODY WORLDS 4 is supported by the British Red Cross, the Association of European Cancer Leagues and the Polycystic Kidney Disease charity.

About the process of Plastination
During Plastination, bodily fluids and soluble fats are extracted from a specimen, and replaced through vacuum-forced impregnation, with reactive resins and elastomers, such as silicon rubber.  The specimen is then cured with light, heat, or certain gases, which gives it rigidity and permanence.

About the Museum of Science and Industry www.mosi.org.uk 
MOSI is currently home to BODY WORLDS 4 which is on display until the 17th August 2008.  The exhibition is the culmination of Dr. von Hagens’ 30 year career in anatomy. The BODY WORLDS 4 premiere in Manchester features numerous plastinates never seen before. Previous exhibitions of BODY WORLDS have attracted over 25 million visitors, making it the most highly attended touring exhibition in the world.

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), located at Liverpool Road, Manchester, is a charitable trust (registration 518412) which receives revenue funding from The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). MOSI is dedicated to making Science and Industry inspirational to all, while highlighting our specific region’s rich and continuous contribution to scientific endeavour and education.  

Our vision is to be a world class cultural attraction right at the heart of everything Manchester has to offer.

About Driven www.thedrivenagency.co.uk
Driven was launched in February 2008 by the ex CEO, MD, Creative Director and Brand Director of TBWA Manchester – Neil Griffiths, Nick Brookes, Chris Lear and Graham Drury.

The agency has a simple vision – to create ideas that sell.  We use insight and creativity for one purpose: to ensure that clients get a meaningful return on their investment.

And we back this up with the promise: that if our client don’t make a profit on what we do for them then neither do we.

With the vitality of a new born and the reassurance of big brand experience, we believe that “a driven perspective” can add real value to the success of any client’s brand. 

For further information contact Graham Drury:  t: 01625 524 240 / m: 07918 910940

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For all media enquiries please contact:

Michele Lewis, Communications Manager, BODY WORLDS 4
T: +44 (0)161 606 0178  M: +44 (0)7729 501 369 or E: m.lewis(at)bw.plastination.com

Sarah Roe, Press and Publicity Officer, Museum of Science & Industry
T: +44 (0)161 606 1076  M: +44 (0)7847 372 647 or E: s.roe(at)mosi.org.uk

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Los Angeles (June 10, 2008)—One hundred and fifteen registered donors of the Heidelberg-based Institute for Plastination’s North American Body Donation Program—the primary source of the bodies in Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS anatomical exhibitions—convened for their first North American Body Donors Meeting in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 7th, 2008.

The reasons they decided to donate their bodies to plastination and eventual ‘post-mortal’ citizenship in Gunther von Hagens BODY WORLDS are as varied and as individual as they are.

Irma Henry, 85, of Los Angeles said she decided to donate her body to BODY WORLDS after seeing it for the first time in 2004.  “The idea of medical students benefiting from my donation was the initial reason for considering plastination, but the practical reason, saving money on funeral expenses helped me make my decision, ” she said.

Another donor, Kathy, who asked that her name be withheld because she had not told her own family of her donation, said she wanted to be in the BODY WORLDS traveling exhibitions after death to satisfy the wanderlust she’d felt all her life.  “I always wanted to travel the world but have never had the resources to match my dreams. I am 45 years old and I still live within five miles of where I was born. It will be great that in death I will be able to travel all over the world and educate people about health at the same time,” she said.

Ron Cooper, 41, a truck mechanic from Marion, North Carolina  echoed the feeling of some at the donor convention when he told a reporter that graves were “a waste of real estate.”  Others found the prospect of decomposition of the body unsavory.  “I realize from earth to earth and dust to dust is embedded in our culture, but it is really a terrible process and I wanted to avoid it,” said one donor.

John Cataldo, 57, of Pasadena, CA said his own donation was a way of giving back to others, as well as making a graceful exit.  “Plastination allows me the privilege of leaving a spirit of self expression beyond my physical life.  This contribution I make to the future enables me to have a sense of fulfillment in my current life,” he said.

Seen by more than 25 million visitors in 45 cities around the world, Gunther von Hagens BODY WORLDS are the only anatomical exhibitions with an established body donation program, and the only anatomical exhibitions that use donated bodies.   With the exception of fetuses from historical anatomical collections pre-dating 1920, and some small organs from hospital anatomy and pathology programs-all of the specimens in BODY WORLDS (more than 180 out of 200 specimens per exhibit), originate from the Institute for Plastination's Body Donation Program, established in Heidelberg in 1982 and managed by the Institute for Plastination since 1993.   As of June 2008, the Institute for Plastination's Body Donation roster includes 8626 living donors from around the world (among them, 7366 Germans and 728 Americans) and 580 deceased donors (among them, 569 Germans and 11 Americans).

For more information please contact Gail Vida Hamburg at g.hamburg(at)plastination.com or Georgina Gomez at g.gomez(at)plastination.com

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GUNTHER VON HAGENS’ BODY WORLDS EXHIBITIONS WELCOME SPECIMENS FROM WORLD’S FIRST LIVING BODY DONOR FOR PLASTINATION.

Los Angeles (June 9, 2008)—For 35 year old Mark Rohner of London, Ohio, the amputation of his right leg due to bone cancer reads like the plot point in a medical drama. During the operation in 2006, the saw the chief surgeon was using to detach Rohner’s limb from his knee, broke while cutting into the bone.  Like in the best medical dramas, the hospital had to send a persuasive emissary to a neighboring hospital for a replacement saw to complete the job.

Now fitted with a prosthetic leg, Rohner, a soft-spoken pathology technician has become a celebrity in an iconic world-renowned series of anatomical exhibitions.  He is the first living body donor in Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS, the public anatomical exhibitions of donor bodies that have been touring the United States since 2004. 

As a medical professional who routinely dissects amputated limbs and excises tumors and other pathologies for analysis, Rohner was familiar with the disposal of surgically removed limbs.  “They are either given back to individuals for burial, cremation, or other rituals, or disposed as medical waste,” said Rohner.  “After I came to terms with the prospect of losing my leg, I decided that I’d rather make it useful for medical scholarship than have it disposed of, as medical waste.”  Rohner’s cancer is a rare disease for a man of his age and ethnicity and he wanted his condition to be an educational resource for future doctors. Familiar with the work of anatomist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens, Rohner contacted the North American Body Donation Program of the Heidelberg-based Institute for Plastination, the organizers of Gunther von Hagens BODY WORLDS exhibitions.

After the amputation, Rohner’s severed limb was flown to the Institute for Plastination’s laboratory in Germany.  There, Dr. von Hagens found that the tumors had already been excised from the limb during surgery.  “We were quite surprised that his rare disease, bone abnormality, and bone cancer were not evident in the limb. However I felt a deep obligation to this donor who had fought his disease so bravely.  I was determined to turn the amputated limb into an anatomical treasure that could be used to teach future generations of doctors.  The limb was transformed into multiple sheet plastinates thin as wafers using      Dr. von Hagens’ scientific invention of plastination. 

Rohner’s plastinates, numbering 75, will be distributed to medical schools around the world, as well as presented with a multimedia narrative of his remarkable story in upcoming Body Worlds exhibitions.  With his donation, Rohner joins more than 200 donors already in the exhibitions who  gave their informed and legal consent to be on display in BODY WORLDS  for the scientific education of future generations.  “However, Mr. Rohner is a historic figure because he is the only living donor in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions.  His story and his commitment to scientific education is remarkable,” said Dr. von Hagens.

Seen by more than 25 million visitors in 45 cities around the world, Gunther von Hagens BODY WORLDS are the only anatomical exhibitions with an established body donation program, and the only anatomical exhibitions that use donated bodies.   With the exception of fetuses from historical anatomical collections pre-dating 1920, and some small organs from hospital anatomy and pathology programs-all of the specimens in BODY WORLDS (more than 180 out of 200 specimens per exhibit), originate from the Institute for Plastination's Body Donation Program, established in Heidelberg in 1982 and managed by the Institute for Plastination since 1993.   As of June 2008, the Institute for Plastination's Body Donation roster includes 8626 living donors from around the world (among them, 7366 Germans and 728 Americans) and 580 deceased donors (among them, 569 Germans and 11 Americans).

For more information please contact
Gail Vida Hamburg at g.hamburg(at)plastination.com
or
Georgina Gomez at g.gomez(at)plastination.com

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The Leonardo to bring BODY WORLDS 3

SALT LAKE CITY—June 04, 2008—Beginning September 19, Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 3: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies & The Story of the Heart, the largest-ever science exhibit to visit Utah, will be at The Leonardo in downtown Salt Lake City for a limited engagement. The exhibition is presented by University Health Care.

BODY WORLDS 3 will span almost 20,000 square feet and includes more than 200 specimens. More than 25 million visitors in 45 cities across Asia, Europe, and North America have seen BODY WORLDS since its debut in Japan in 1995.

"Again and again, Utahns have shown that we want, and deserve, the same type of world-class, educational and cultural opportunities as other major world cities," said Mary Tull, executive director of The Leonardo. "We are honored to bring BODY WORLDS 3 to our community, and expect a tremendous response."

"We are thrilled to present the BODY WORLDS experience in Salt Lake City," said Dee S. Brewer, assistant vice president of marketing for University Health Care, the exhibit's presenting partner. "This unique exhibit is a fantastic opportunity to observe the intricate systems at work inside each of us. We believe BODY WORLDS visitors will leave inspired with a greater appreciation and respect for their body."

Tickets
Tickets for BODY WORLDS 3 at The Leonardo are available immediately at www.theleonardo.org, or by calling 1-888-695-0888. Admission prices are $22.00 for adults (ages 19-64); $19.50 for seniors (65+) and students with ID; and $16.00 for children 3 to 18. Special rates for schools and other groups of 12 or more apply.

About the Exhibition
BODY WORLDS 3 &The Story of the Heart is organized according to the major systems of the body, including the locomotive, nervous, reproductive, digestive and cardiovascular systems. The exhibit also features a special presentation on the heart, revealing through the lenses of anatomy, cardiology, psychology and culture how this four-chambered muscle nourishes, regulates and sustains life. Through the life-like and dramatic poses of full-body specimens and detailed presentation of organs and body parts, guests gain profound insights into the structure and function of healthy and unhealthy bodies.

BODY WORLDS 3 specimens, both organs and whole-bodies, have undergone Plastination?von Hagens' groundbreaking method of halting decomposition and preserving the body after death for medical study, which he invented in 1977. During Plastination, all bodily fluids and soluble fats are replaced with reactive resins and elastomers such as silicon rubber and epoxy, through a vacuum process. After gas, heat, or light curing, the specimens assume rigidity and permanence. "The purpose of Plastination from its very inception was a scientific one, to educate medical students," said Dr. Gunther von Hagens. "But the interest that laypeople had in the plastinated specimens inspired me to think of creating public exhibitions, which was followed by the realization that I had to offer a heightened sense of aesthetics, to avoid shocking the public and to capture their imagination."

The striking whole-body plastinates in BODY WORLDS 3—people who in their lifetimes donated their bodies for Plastination for the express purpose of educating future generations about health?allow viewers to see inside the staggeringly complex and interconnected network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up our bodies.

"BODY WORLDS 3 is a collaboration, a joint quest towards enlightenment between donor, anatomist, and visitor," said Dr. von Hagens.

For more information about the exhibit, buying tickets, planning your visit, volunteer activities, field trips, private events and group sales, please visit www.theleonardo.org.

About The Leonardo
The Leonardo is an educational center fusing science, technology, and the arts in experiences that inspire human potential for creativity and innovation in Utah and beyond. Inspired by the spirit of creativity that guided Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci, The Leonardo will be part of Library Square, an emerging civic and educational center that already draws more than three million visitors a year. Visit www.theleonardo.org for more information.

Contacts:

Lisa Davis, The Leonardo
lisadjames(at)att.net
(801) 230-9399

Maura Carabello, The Exoro Group
mec(at)exoro.com
(801) 537-0900

Gail Hamburg, BODY WORLDS director of communications
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com
(312) 602-5369

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BODY WORLDS & the Mirror of Time to Premiere at The O2 in Autumn 2008

LONDON, June 4, 2008—Following the success of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, AEG, Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI) and anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens today announced BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time will make its world premiere at The O2 bubble in autumn 2008.

BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time is the third and latest instalment of the groundbreaking anatomical exhibitions by trailblazing scientist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens, and will feature a special presentation on the human life cycle and ageing. The exhibit shows the complexity, resilience, and vulnerability of the human body through anatomical studies of the body in distress, disease, and optimal health.

Visitors to The Mirror of Time will witness the arc of ageing-the body living through time from the spark of conception to old age refracted through the latest findings in longevity and ageing science. "The older I get, the more I realize that death is normal and that it is life that is exceptional," said Dr. von Hagens. "I hope this exhibition will encourage people to strive to live with inspiration every day throughout their lives."

This new exhibition comes to The O2 hot on the heels of this year's blockbuster show, Tutankhamun and the Age of the Pharaohs, which recently surpassed one million tickets sold since opening in November 2007.

"The bar has been set with the success of the Tutankhamun exhibition and we searched far and wide to make the next exhibition at The O2 as compelling and universal," said John Norman, president, AEI. "We believe BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time will be London's next blockbuster exhibition."

The only anatomical exhibition with an established body donation program and the informed legal consent of those on display, BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time will include more than 200 plastinates-specimens preserved through Plastination, Dr. von Hagens' remarkable scientific process.

The exhibition will include more than 200 authentic 'plastinates' including several animal specimens preserved via a groundbreaking scientific process, created by Dr. von Hagens, to show the form, beauty, function, and potential of the human and animal body.

David Campbell, Chief Executive of AEG Europe, said: "The Body Worlds series has always intrigued and proved irresistible to the public. This new seminal exhibition from Gunther von Hagens will no doubt become one of London's must see attractions and will appeal to anyone interested in how their body works."

For more information about BODY WORLDS & The Mirror of Time, please visit http://www.bodyworlds.co.uk.

About BODY WORLDS: Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS are the only public anatomical exhibitions that stem from an established body donation program and use donated bodies. BODY WORLDS exhibitions have opened to critical acclaim in 47 cities worldwide, and have been seen by more than 25 million people.

contact:
Gail Hamburg, BODY WORLDS director of communications
g.hamburg@plastination.com
(312) 602-5369  

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International Unveiling of 16-foot Giraffe Specimen

Ostrich Plastinate Also Makes North American Debut in Record-Breaking Exhibit

Los Angeles—The record-breaking exhibition BODY WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart will unveil, for the first time anywhere, a 16-foot-tall plastinated giraffe. Also making its North American debut will be another long-necked rarity: an ostrich. The two new animal specimens will be revealed on Thurs., June 5 at the California Science Center.

Visitors will marvel at the giraffe’s unique anatomy; the world’s tallest land mammal has an unusually powerful heart and sophisticated cardiovascular system to support its body—hooves to horns—including its famously long neck. Plastination of the giraffe spanned 22,583 man hours. Gunther von Hagens, the creator of BODY WORLDS, noted that they learned new facts about giraffe anatomy during the process, which will be included in the exhibition display.

Joining the giraffe, the ostrich represents the largest and speediest—although flightless—bird. The ostrich specimen has previously only been displayed at the PLASTINARIUM in Guben, Germany. Through the engaging anatomy displays, visitors can compare the animals and learn how the ostrich reaches speeds of 40 miles per hour and could actually outrun a giraffe twice its height.

The giraffe and ostrich plastinates add a new dimension to the anatomy exhibit, highlighting each animal’s distinct qualities while revealing what humans and animals have in common underneath the skin.

BODY WORLDS 3 is the latest installment of the original anatomical exhibition of real human bodies, which made its North American debut at the California Science Center in 2004. BODY WORLDS has now been viewed by more than 25 million people worldwide and is the most popular traveling exhibit ever hosted by the California Science Center.

California Science Center:
Paula Wagner at (213) 744-2144 or pwagner(at)cscmail.org

BODY WORLDS 3:
Hillary Manning(213) 744-7569 or h.manning(at)bw.plastination.com

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KÖRPERWELTEN: The Trailblazing Anatomical Exhibition Returns to Brussels with a Complete New Presentation.

Heidelberg, Germany, June 2, 2008—KÖRPERWELTEN or BODY WORLDS (as it is known internationally): The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies by pioneering anatomist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens, will return to Belgium in August 2008. Tickets go on sale to the general public in June for the groundbreaking exhibition at The Cureghem Cellars.

During its first visit to Brussels in 2001, more than half a million people visited The Cureghem Cellars to see KÖRPERWELTEN.  Now, due to popular demand, BODY WORLDS 4 -- the latest edition of this world renowned anatomical exhibition that premiered in Manchester in spring 2008 -- will be on display once again at The Cureghem Cellars. 

In BODY WORLDS 4, the exquisite form and physiology of the human body is illuminated by more than 200 new authentic human specimens that show the latest advances in plastination and dissection technology. The exhibit features original plastinates, never before seen in Brussels, including individual organs, transparent body slices, and whole bodies, transformed through the revolutionary preservation process. It shows the body in disease, distress, and optimal health by comparing smokers and non-smokers lungs, healthy and cirrhosis liver, dysfunctional and robust hearts, optimal and over weight bodies.

BODY WORLDS exhibitions--the original by leading scientist, Gunther von Hagens--are the only public anatomical presentations with an established Body Donation Programme. To date, more than 9,200 people have registered to donate their bodies for Plastination and use in the BODY WORLDS exhibits, among them 40 Belgians.

Plastination, the groundbreaking method of halting decomposition of anatomical specimens and preserving them for medical study and health instruction, was invented and patented by anatomist and physician, Dr. Gunther von Hagens.

Tickets for BODY WORLDS 4 will go on sale to the general public in June 2008. For more information about the exhibition, Plastination or body donation, visit www.bodyworlds.com. The Cureghem Cellars is located at Rue Ropsy Chaudron 24, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.

For media information please contact the press office:
Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg, Germany
hd.pressoffice(at)plastination.com

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Heidelberg, Germany—June 2, 2008—Several recent media reports in Germany and the United States have confused Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS exhibitions with other anatomy displays and copycat displays such as, “Bodies … The Exhibition.

”Multiple media reports in Germany and the United States have falsely stated that Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS exhibitions have been the subject of investigation by the Attorney General of New York, Andrew M. Cuomo for the use of human remains from China of undetermined origin.  Reports have also been disseminated by the media that Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS exhibitions and the Attorney General of New York have reached a settlement on the investigation, with details of the alleged settlement.  The Institute for Plastination publicly states that all of these statements are false.

The body display under scrutiny by the Attorney General of New York is “Bodies … The Exhibition” organized by Premier Exhibitions, a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (PRXI).  A comprehensive report of the investigation of that display is available on the New York State Attorney General’s website at http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2008/may/may29a_08.html

Anatomist, Gunther von Hagens—inventor of Plastination and  creator of the first and original public anatomical exhibitions known initially as Koerperwelten and now as BODY WORLDS is not affiliated with any other anatomical displays or copycat exhibits that use unclaimed and found bodies from China.

The only public anatomical exhibitions that the Institute for Plastination and Dr. von Hagens are affiliated to are the exhibitions that bear the name Gunther von Hagens BODY WORLDS. The only cities where Gunther von Hagens BODY WORLDS exhibitions are currently on display are those listed on the official BODY WORLDS website at www.bodyworlds.com

In addition, with the exception of fetuses from historical anatomical collections predating 1920s, and a small number of organs from morphological institutes and hospital exhibitions, all specimens in Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS stem from the Institute for Plastination’s Body Donation Program.  The IfP’s Body Donation Program, as of May 31st, 2008 has a donor roster of
more than 9200 donors, more than 7300 from Germany, and more than 700 from the US, and none from China.

For more information about Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS exhibitions, please visit www.bodyworlds.com
or contact Gail Vida Hamburg at g.hamburg(at)plastination.com
or Georgina Gomez at g.gomez(at)plastination.com

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Exhibition Attendance at Milwaukee Public Museum Tops 338,500

MILWAUKEE - June 2, 2008 - Milwaukee Public Museum officials are pleased to announce that attendance at BODY WORLDS 1: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies has far surpassed their initial expectations. The exhibition, which officially ended its run on June 1, drew approximately 338,500 visitors, which is more than the Museum's two previous top-drawing exhibits combined. 
"We are extraordinarily pleased at the level of interest BODY WORLDS generated in the community. We owe a special thank you to each and every person who visited us - sometimes braving sleet and snow, sometimes attending at 3 a.m. - to help make BODY WORLDS such a resounding success," said Museum president Dan Finley.
 
Attendance Fact and Figures
·        19,934 visitors went through BODY WORLDS during the final weekend.
·        Just less than 2,500 visitors attended BODY WORLDS per day, on average.
·        55,817 school children (registered as school groups through grade 12) attended BODY WORLDS.
·        Museum staff answered 78,138 phone calls during the run of the exhibition.
 
Statements regarding the exhibitions positive impact on Museum finances are still being finalized and will be released as they become available.
 
About the Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum is a natural and human history museum located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The museum was chartered in 1882 and opened to the public in 1884. MPM has three floors of exhibits that encompass life-size dioramas, walk-through villages, world cultures, dinosaurs, a rain forest and a live butterfly garden, as well as the Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater and the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. The museum houses more than 4.5 million objects and hosts nearly half a million visitors each year.
 
The MPM is operated by Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc., a private, non-profit company, and its facilities and collections are held in trust and supported by Milwaukee County for the benefit of the public.

MEDIA INQUIRIES
Carrie Trousil:  (414) 278-6198 or (414) 614-4260

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Correction of Erroneous Reporting, May 16, 2008

The News Record, The University of Cincinnati's independent student newspaper

David Barnhorn, in his informative article on human rights violations in China, Ex-prisoner Speaks Against China, (May 15, 08) states that Chinese human rights advocate, Harry Wu "displayed photographs depicting bodies of prisoners ready for plastination that were given to him by Gunther von Hagens." While, the Institute for Plastination has always responded openly and transparently to questions from the media, public, and concerned citizens about the BODY WORLDS exhibitions, the work of the Institute for Plastination, its mission,its body donation program, and its scientific work, and Dr. von Hagens has given interviews on public anatomical displays, ethical issues surrounding publlc anatomy, and the origin of the bodies in BODY WORLDS, neither the Insitute nor Dr. von Hagens gave photographs, such as the ones described in the article, to anyone.  All BODY WORLDS photographs are made available to the media and to researchers via the image database at www.bodyworlds.com.

Gail Vida Hamburg
Director of Communications
Institute for Plastination
Heidelberg, Germany
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com

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Dr. Gunther von Hagens Presents First Ever UK Lecture

Manchester, UK, 8. May 2008 - Dr. Gunther von Hagens, anatomist, inventor of Plastination and the creator of BODY WORLDS, will be offering a free lecture to a capacity audience at the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), Manchester on Friday, 23rd May at 7 PM. The Lecture is in association with Scalpel, the Manchester Medics Surgical Society.

Dr. von Hagens will lead the audience on an investigation into the invention, development and issues surrounding the Plastination technique, the groundbreaking method of halting decomposition of the body after death and preserving it for anatomical study. The lecture is followed by questions and answers from the media and audience.

MOSI is currently home to BODY WORLDS 4 which is on display until the 29th June 2008. The exhibition is the culmination of Dr. von Hagens’ 30 year career in anatomy. The BODY WORLDS 4 premiere in Manchester features numerous plastinates never seen before. Previous exhibitions of BODY WORLDS have attracted over 25 million visitors, making it the most highly attended touring exhibition in the world.

What will you ask Gunther von Hagens? Interview and broadcast opportunities are available. Gunther von Hagens will be in Manchester during the following days: May 23rd (Friday) and May 24th (Saturday).

For all media enquiries and to schedule interviews with Gunther von Hagens, please contact: Michele Lewis, Communications Manager, BODY WORLDS 4
T: +44 (0)161 606 0178 M: +44 (0)7729 501 369 or E: m.lewis(at)bw.plastination.com

------------------------

Notes to Editors:
 
About BODY WORLDS 4
Dr Gunther von Hagens, a licensed physician and former researcher at the University of Heidelberg’s Anatomy and Pathology Department, invented Plastination in 1977, in an effort to improve the education of medical students. The exhibition emphasises the importance of healthy lifestyles, and includes several plastinates posed in sporting activities, such as badminton, running and jumping, to demonstrate muscle function.
 
The organs and whole-body plastinates in the exhibition derive from people who have, in their lifetime, generously donated their bodies for Plastination, to specifically educate future generations about health. More than 8,000 donors including 103 from Britain have bequeathed their bodies to von Hagens’ Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany.
 
BODY WORLDS 4 is supported by the British Red Cross, the Association of European Cancer League and the Polycystic Kidney Disease charity.

 
About the Institute for Plastination (IfP) and the process of Plastination
Dr. Gunther von Hagens founded the IFP in 1993. It is involved in co-ordinating the BODY WORLDS exhibitions and administrating the unique Body Donation programme. Plastination is today mainly performed at the Plastinarium in Guben, Germany.
 
During Plastination, bodily fluids and soluble fats are extracted from a specimen, and replaced through vacuum-forced impregnation, with reactive resins and elastomers, such as silicon rubber. the specimen is then cured with light, heat, or certain gases, which gives it rigidity and permanence.

 
About the Museum of Science and Industry www.mosi.org.uk/
The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), located at Liverpool Road, Manchester, is a charitable trust (registration 518412) which receives revenue funding from The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). MOSI is dedicated to making Science and Industry inspirational to all, while highlighting our specific region’s rich and continuous contribution to scientific endeavour and education.
 
Our vision is to be a world class cultural attraction right at the heart of everything Manchester has to offer.

About Scalpel www.scalpelmanchester.co.uk
Scalpel, the Manchester University undergraduate surgical society was created in 2001 following a recommendation by The Royal College of Surgeons. It is run by medical students, for medical students and aims to provide an insight into the range of existing surgical specialities.
 
Scalpel currently has over 500 registered members, and our range of events and activities are growing likewise. Surgery represents an increasingly competitive career field, and we aim to provide our members with the information that will maximise their chances of success in their selected field at an early stage during medical school life.
 
For the already committed surgeons, we aim to provide opportunities to indulge surgical passions and curiosities and to encourage early identification of a specialist field of interest. As a significant objective, we actively encourage an interest in the anatomical sciences as a fundamental prerequisite of surgical excellence.
 
Scalpel is affiliated with the Royal College of Surgeons of London and Edinburgh and work alongside them in meeting our objectives.
 
Contact:
BODY WORLDS
Michele Lewis 0161 606 0178 or m.lewis(at)bw.plastination.com

Museum of Science & Industry
Sarah Roe 0161 606 0176 or s.roe(at)mosi.org.uk

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GUNTHER VON HAGENS’ BODY WORLDS EXHIBITIONS MARK 25th  MILLION VISITOR MILESTONE

Heidelberg, Germany, April 28, 2008—Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS, the traveling anatomical exhibitions of  donor bodies welcomes its 25th million visitor this week. Though it will not be known if the distinction will go to a visitor entering the turnstile at BODY WORLDS in Los Angeles, or if the honor will go instead to a visitor at BODY WORLDS in Milwaukee, or Baltimore, or Manchester, England, the number is a stellar achievement in museum exhibition history.

Since 1996, when anatomist, Gunther von Hagens presented the first BODY WORLDS  at the National Science Center in Tokyo, to commemorate the centennial of the Japanese Anatomical Society, the exhibitions, now numbering four, have struck a deep chord and resonated with people in 47 cities around the world.  In Los Angeles, more than 1 million people have seen BODY WORLDS in its three editions; in Chicago—1,187,583; Berlin—1,393,902;  Seoul—2,039,136; London—840,611;  Brussels—506,793; Denver—687,022.

The numbers are so staggering that Jeff Rudolph, President of the California Science Center, who presented the first BODY WORLDS exhibition in North America, followed by the second and, now, third of  Dr. von Hagens’  exhibitions, coined a new term for the phenomena—The BODY WORLDS Effect.  “BODY WORLDS brought not just expanded audiences … but enhanced our brand as a science learning institution,” wrote Rudolph, who is now also one of  8,458 registered donors in the Body Donation Program of the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany, the primary source of bodies in BODY WORLDS exhibitions.

A seminal museum experience that inserted the post-mortal body into the cultural landscape and contemporary consciousness, BODY WORLDS exhibitions have fulfilled their mission of public health and science education, but also forever changed our notions about conception and death by provoking philosophical and religious reflection in visitors.

In the October 2007 Journal of Medical Humanities, Dr. Charleen Moore of University of Texas and Dr. C. McKenzie Brown of Trinity University, who examined more than 70,000 visitor comments about BODY WORLDS wrote: “For many visitors, both laypersons and the medically trained, it is very much a kind of meditation hall where they are compelled to ponder deep assumptions about their own personal and social identity, their relationship to the universe and/or to God, and to the meaning and purpose of life.”  The comment books, wrote Moore and Brown, frequently mirror the social, political and ideological issues in contemporary society and what amounts to running debates on especially controversial issues, serving as a microcosm of the culture wars currently fought in society at large.

The success of the exhibitions created by Dr. von Hagens—who invented the science of Plastination, the anatomical specimen preservation method that makes it possible to present the aesthetic, didactic anatomy evident in BODY WORLDS—has spawned a number of copycat displays by commercial interests also claiming the mission of public health, but none claiming the legal consent of those on display.

For Gunther von Hagens, the inventor of Plastination and the mind behind BODY WORLDS—once described as, “an envelope pusher and intellectual adventurer of the type humankind occasionally needs,” and honored last year as a Modern Day Leonardo Da Vinci—the exhibitions are not an elegy but a celebration of human potential.  “We humans are the only self regarding beings on the planet, and the exhibitions are a forum for introspection, to contemplate life in the absence of the animating spirit and soul.  Twenty-five million visitors may amount to a mass introspection on our humanity, but I am delighted even more that the experience for each person is singular and emotional.”

Gunther von Hagens is currently working on the third chapter of his anatomical opus, The Human Saga, a special feature on Aging that followsThe Three Pound Gem, which focuses on the brain, now showing in Baltimore, and The Story of the Heart, which considers cardiology and heart health, now in Los Angeles.

For more information please contact:
Gail Vida Hamburg
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com or 312-602-5369
or
Georgina Gomez
g.gomez@plastination.com or 213-291-9572

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California Science Center Welcomes 1-Millionth BODY WORLDS Visitor
Milestone Coincides with Visit from Legendary Recording Artist Chaka Khan

BODY WORLDS made its North American debut at the California Science Center with the opening of BODY WORLDS 1 in July 2004. Public response to the exhibit was overwhelmingly positive, and the Science Center opened BODY WORLDS 2 in January 2005, immediately following the first installment. BODY WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart, presented by Herbalife, opened on March 14 to record-breaking advance ticket sales. BODY WORLDS continues its run as the most popular visiting exhibit at the California Science Center.

Chaka Khan and the group of students from Charles Drew Middle School were treated to a private showing of BODY WORLDS 3, a presentation on the heart from the California Science Center's education staff and an exclusive tour of the Air and Space gallery with its curator, Dr. Ken Phillips. The field trip was part of the Chaka Khan Foundation's college preparatory program and highlights the California Science Center and BODY WORLDS' mission to inspire the public to learn about science and health.

Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 3 & The Story of the Heart is a 20,000 square-foot exhibition featuring more than 200 authentic human specimens including whole body plastinates, organs, translucent body slices, and a special presentation on the heart. Through the life-like and dramatic poses of full-body specimens and detailed presentation of organs and body parts, visitors gain profound insights into the structure and function of healthy and unhealthy bodies. At the California Science Center through Sept. 7, 2008. Admission ranges from $11.50 to $18.95. More: http://www.californiasciencecenter.org.

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BODY WORLDS 4 KICKS OFF WITH A SPORTING THEME  
The debut anatomical exhibition of real human bodies premieres in Manchester prior to touring Europe
 
MANCHESTER, UK, Thursday 21 February 2008 - Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 4: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies will reveal a sporting theme when the exhibition has its world premiere today at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Manchester. Dr. von Hagens’ latest collection includes plastinated bodies in dynamic sporting poses such as football and swimming, as the city gears up for a record year of international sport.
 
BODY WORLDS 4 presents technical refinements in the use of polymers and reactive resins, especially in whole body plastination, that Dr. Gunther von Hagens considers breakthroughs in plastination science, and aesthetic refinements in dissection and presentation, for example, plastinates posed in joint narratives.
 
The exhibition is the culmination of the German scientist and physician’s 30 year career in anatomy.  Many of the exhibits demonstrate the effects on the body of widespread health problems in the UK such as obesity, smoking and heart problems. Dr. von Hagens, a former researcher at the University of Heidelberg’s Anatomy and Pathology Department, invented Plastination in 1977, in an effort to improve the education of medical students.
 
The debut exhibition marks the return of BODY WORLDS to Europe, after a three-year tour through North America’s science museums, to critical and public acclaim. BODY WORLDS is the most highly attended touring exhibition in the world, attracting 25 million visitors.
 
The exhibition is supported by the British Red Cross which is presenting several workshops exploring the anatomical impacts of injury and disease on the human body and how first aid can treat them, often to life-saving effect.
 
Among the over 200 plastinates on display, the exhibition will feature a badminton player, a jumper doing the splits and ‘The Wave Roller’ – a male plastinate rolling inside a metal wheel.
 
Other exhibition plastinates include a relay runner, a guitar player, a gorilla, and the famous ‘Poker Playing Trio’ featured in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale.
 
Dr. Gunther von Hagens said: "Manchester is a forward thinking city and has a long history of supporting scientific and technical achievement. Many scientific and technical marvels, such as the world's first stored-programme computer, began right here, so I thought BODY WORLDS would resonate in the city."  
 
Tony Hill, Acting Director of MOSI said: “We are delighted to host Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 4 in Manchester.  Dr. von Hagens has been particularly keen to include specimens which are relevant to Manchester’s sporting heritage, and these will provide a fascinating link to the internationally important sporting events which are taking place this year in the city. All age groups are welcome, although we recommend that children of secondary school age will find the exhibition most beneficial.”
 
He added: “There will be a series of lectures held at MOSI surrounding the event which cover related topics such as ethics, stem cell research and first aid”
 
The striking organs and whole-body plastinates in BODY WORLDS 4 derive from people who have, in their lifetime, generously donated their bodies for Plastination, to specifically educate future generations about health. More than 8,000 donors including 103 Britains have bequeathed their bodies to von Hagens’ Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany.
 
The exhibition will feature a rolling programme of lectures, workshops and school classroom activities. These will explore the topics surrounding BODY WORLDS, such as anatomy, the ethics of displaying human bodies and emergency life saving.
 
Joe Mulligan, British Red Cross Head of First Aid Services, said: ‘We are delighted to be providing first aid expertise to BODY WORLDS 4. We are committed to making first aid knowledge accessible and widely available. Through this partnership we can reach thousands of people with some basic first aid messages and will hopefully inspire them to go on and learn more.’

 
For further information, full list of plastinates at BODY WORLDS 4, or images please contact:
Michele Lewis
Communications Manager
Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 4
m.lewis(t)bw.plastination.com  

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SPECIMENS IN BODY WORLDS EXHIBITIONS STEM FROM GERMAN BODY DONATION PROGRAM

Heidelberg, Germany, February 18, 2008-The Institute for Plastination commends ABC's 20/20 for its investigation on the origin of bodies on display in public anatomical exhibitions. The program served to inform and educate the public about anatomical exhibitions in general, and the origins of bodies used in anatomical exhibitions in particular. However, the Institute for Plastination wishes to clarify two vague statements made by anatomist, Dr. Gunther von Hagens to 20/20, that may have confused Associated Press, other media, and the public about the origin of the bodies in BODY WORLDS exhibitions.  

In the interview conducted entirely in English (Dr. von Hagens' second language), he said that he had "stopped using bodies from China," and that "he had cremated some bodies that showed head injuries." His incomplete statements-presented without context or chronology-led some to conclude that he had once used Chinese bodies in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions, and had since ceased to do so.  

In his interview, Dr. von Hagens neglected to mention that from 2003 to 2004, he was frequently asked by Chinese universities to complete plastination of anatomical specimens belonging to their medical schools. The specimens were delivered by the universities to Dr. von Hagens for plastination, and returned after the plastination process. In his interview, Dr. von Hagens failed to explain that he was referring to his secondary plastination work for medical schools, and not his  primary work of donor plastination for BODY WORLDS exhibitions.  

In fact-with the exception of fetuses from historical anatomical collections pre-dating 1930, and some small organs from hospital anatomy and pathology programs-all of the specimens in BODY WORLDS (more than 180 out of 200 specimens per exhibit), originate from the Institute for Plastination's Body Donation Program, established in Heidelberg in 1982 and managed by the Institute for Plastination since 1993.

As of January 2008, the Institute for Plastination's Body Donation roster includes 8244 living donors from around the world (7076 Germans and 659 Americans) and 546 deceased donors (538 Germans and 8 Americans). The Institute for Plastination apologizes for the confusion that arose from the vague statements made by Dr. von Hagens in his favored, but not first, language.

For more information please contact:
Gail Vida Hamburg, Director of Communications
Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS & Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg, Germany
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com

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Edmonton attracts major milestone exhibition—TELUS World of Science hosts Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 1 The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies

EDMONTON, ALBERTA, February 7, 2008—TELUS World of Science - Edmonton announces the opening of Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 1 The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies at the science centre beginning Friday, June 13 through October 13, 2008. BODY WORLDS is the most-visited traveling exhibition in the world. TELUS World of Science - Edmonton is the only scheduled visit in Canada’s Prairie Provinces.

This unique and educational exhibit about human anatomy, physiology and health gives visitors an unprecedented view inside the human body, and has been enjoyed worldwide by nearly 25 million people. BODY WORLDS 1 presents more than 200 authentic specimens, including organs and whole body specimens, that have undergone a remarkable process called Plastination. Invented by physician and anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens, Plastination is a method for extracting bodily fluids and fat from specimens, and replacing them, through vacuum forced impregnation, with reactive resins and polymers. As a result of this process, visitors to BODY WORLDS will actually see inside the human body, learn how it works and how it can be affected by disease and lifestyle choices.“

At TELUS World of Science, we are dedicated to improving science and technology literacy in Alberta; more importantly, we are focused on inspiring Alberta’s youth to pursue their education with great enthusiasm and creating voyages of life-long learning for all Albertans,” said George Smith, President & CEO of the Edmonton Space & Science Foundation / TELUS World of Science – Edmonton. “BODY WORLDS is a powerful educational and inspirational exhibition that offers a tremendous opportunity to improve Albertans’ knowledge about their own bodies and the health impact of their life-style choices. Our program theme for 2008 is Health and Life Sciences; hence BODY WORLDS is a perfect complement to our program focus.”Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS exhibitions are the original, precedent-setting public anatomical exhibitions of real human bodies, and the only anatomical exhibits that use donated bodies, willed by donors for the express purpose of serving BODY WORLDS mission to educate the public about health and anatomy. To date, more than 7,000 people have agreed to donate their bodies to BODY WORLDS for Plastination and use in the exhibits.

“Edmonton is home to Canada’s top-ranked health system in North America - in women’s health, ophthalmology, cancer research, diabetes research and cardiology”, said Mayor Stephen Mandel. “I can’t think of a better place for BODY WORLDS than our city of Edmonton. I congratulate TELUS World of Science for bringing this very exciting exhibit to Edmonton. BODY WORLDS will make an important contribution to the richness of the Edmonton experience - for Edmontonians and visitors”.Tickets for BODY WORLDS 1 exhibition at TELUS World of Science will go on sale to the general public on February 7, 2008. For more information about the exhibition, Plastination or body donation, visit www.bodyworldsedmonton.com or www.telusworldofscience.com/edmonton.

TELUS World of Science - Edmonton is a world-class, broad-based science centre that inspires and motivates people to learn about and contribute to science and technology. TELUS World of Science - Edmonton is a leader in providing high quality, interactive programs and exhibits that provide an avenue for both learning and entertainment, and which spark the imagination of people of all ages. The Edmonton Space & Science Foundation is a non-profit organization that operates TELUS World of Science - Edmonton.

For media inquiries

For BODY WORLDS please contact
Gail Vida Hamburg, Director of Communications
Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS & Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg, Germany
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com

For the TELUS World of Science please contact
Donalda DaSilva Pelton, ommunications Coordinator
TELUS World of Science - Edmonton
(780) 452-9100

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ANATOMIST DR. GUNTHER VON HAGENS CLARIFIES: PLASTINATES NOT FOR SALE 

Heidelberg, Germany, February 5, 2008—Towards some journalists on February 4, 2008, Dr. Gunther von Hagens explained his views on anatomy, the poor access to medical knowledge by lay people, and his own professional evolution from male nurse, to anesthesiologist, to Ivory Tower academic, to public scientist. 

Dr. von Hagens believes that to differentiate between experts and laypersons points to an inherent bias that could lead to the colonizing of knowledge by the medical and scientific elite.  Thus, he floated the idea that plastinates ought to be distributed to qualified individuals including laypersons. 

In a moment of scientific bravado on behalf of lay people, Dr. von Hagens claimed the enterprise as feasible and active, and went so far as to venture how such a plan would operate. Dr. von Hagens regrets his statements on the matter and retracts them in their entirety. He apologizes to the body donors registered with the Institute for Plastination, who have entrusted their post-mortal bodies to the Institute for scientific study and the education of many. He reiterates that the body donors are the ethical backbone of BODY WORLDS. He thanks those who have participated in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions including donors, visitors, museums, exhibition sponsors, and the scientific and medical community for their understanding on this matter.

For more information please contact:
Gail Vida Hamburg, Director of Communications
Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS & Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg, Germany
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com

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THE INSTITUTE FOR PLASTINATION RESPONDS TO THE BISHOP OF MANCHESTER’S MEDIA BLITZ, ASSERTIONS, AND ALLEGATIONS ABOUT BODY WORLDS ANATOMICAL EXHIBITION COMING TO MANCHESTER

Heidelberg, Germany, February 5, 2008—The Bishop of Manchester has made a series of serious allegations against Dr. Gunther von Hagens, former University of Heidelberg researcher, inventor of the science of Plastination, and creator of BODY WORLDS. In a press release dated the 04 February and at a Press Conference at Manchester Cathedral on the 05 February, the Bishop has castigated the forthcoming BODY WORLDS 4 exhibition, to be hosted by the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, from the 22 February to 29 June, 2008.

Because the Institute for Plastination recognizes and respects the rights of every individual to hold their own opinion about BODY WORLDS, it chooses to address at this time only those portions of his statement that are factually incorrect.

The specimens in BODY WORLDS exhibitions stem from a unique Body Donation Programme established in Heidelberg, Germany in 1982, and now managed by the Institute for Plastination (IfP), established in 1993. The IfP’s body donation programme and protocols have been vetted by bio-ethicists, museum lawyers, and ad hoc ethics committees assembled by numerous venerable museums in the United States. All death certificates and donor consent forms of plastinates on display have been matched and verified.  In October 2007, the Journal of Medical Humanities interviewed bio-ethicist Dr. Hans-Martin Sass of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University, Washington D.C, who had traveled to Heidelberg in 2004 to examine the IfP’s body donor files on behalf of American museums. Dr. Sass confirmed his earlier findings about donor consent and stated to the premier journal for medical researchers that he was satisfied with the Institute for Plastination’s body donation programme.

The Institute for Plastination operates with complete transparency and openly provides comprehensive information about our body donation process and programme to all participating museums.  With the exception of a small number of specimens in the BODY WORLDS exhibitions (specifically organs, body parts, and foetuses) that were acquired from established morphological institutes such as anatomy and pathology programmes, and historical anatomical collections, all of the specimens in BODY WORLDS are donated bodies, willed by donors, for the express purpose of serving BODY WORLDS’ mission to educate the public about health and anatomy.

While other exhibits have revealed that they use unclaimed and found bodies originating from China, Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS has never obtained bodies from China or anywhere else for its exhibitions.  Indeed, there are no Chinese plastinated bodies in Dr. von Hagens’ exhibitions. In 2006, Dr. von Hagens transferred the preparation of human specimen plastination from Dalian, China to a new laboratory in Guben, Germany, leaving the China facility to focus exclusively on animal specimen preservation.

Currently, the Institute for Plastination has a donor roster of 8,688 individuals.  The already deceased on the IfP's donor roster number more than 546.  All IfP documents relating to donated bodies have been scrutinized and approved by several museum ethics committees including one formed by the California Science Center in Los Angeles and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, where BODY WORLDS exhibitions took place in 2005.  The Ethics Review of the origins of bodies in Body Worlds -- conducted by the California Science Center, Los Angeles and the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago -- is available for download on our website http://www.bodyworlds.com/en/media/press_kit.html.

The Bishop voices concern that there will be a reduction in organ donation by those who see public anatomical displays, but offers only anecdotal evidence and speculation to support his claim. In May 2006, an independent nine-venue exit survey of BODY WORLDS visitors conducted by Dr. Ernst-D. Lantermann of University of Kassel, Germany found that 20% of visitors said that they were more willing to donate their organs after visiting the exhibition.

The Bishop also implies that visitors to BODY WORLDS are somehow coerced into registering as donors with the Institute for Plastination’s Body Donation Programme before they leave the exhibition. This is patently untrue. In fact, those interested in considering becoming body donors can choose to pick up a postcard or register online at www.bodyworlds.com to request further information from the IfP about the body donation programme. Donors retain the right to revoke the bequeathal at any time.

It is disingenuous for The Bishop to intimate that anatomical exhibitions such as BODY WORLDS, have origins in the Victorian freak show.  Anatomical exhibitions originated in churches during the Renaissance, when the visionaries of that period believed that man's life was worthy of study and contemplation, and church leaders viewed anatomy and dissection as a window into God's work.

The Catholic Church in Germany has followed the work of Dr. von Hagens for more than two decades. In 1983, church leaders there asked Dr. von Hagens to plastinate and preserve the heel bone of St. Hildegard of Bingen, a 10th century beatified mystic revered in Germany. After Pope John Paul's death, there were many discussions in Europe surrounding preserving the body, and especially the heart, of the Pope through Plastination.

Though the mission of BODY WORLDS is the health education of lay people, it provokes philosophical and religious reflection in visitors.  In the October 2007 Journal of Medical Humanities, authors Dr. Charleen Moore of the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology at the University of Texas and Dr. C. McKenzie Brown of Trinity University, Texas who examined more than 70,000 visitor comments about BODY WORLDS wrote:  “The vast majority of comments were overall quite positive in tone congratulating von Hagens for a fantastic experience and for his superb dissection that informed visitors about human anatomy and often thanking him, his co-workers, the sponsoring institutions, the donors and their families, and even God, for making the exhibit possible.” For many visitors, Moore and Brown wrote, “… both laypersons and the medically trained, it is also very much a kind of meditation hall where they are compelled to ponder deep assumptions about their own personal and social identity, their relationship to the universe and/or to God, and to the meaning and purpose of life.”  The comment books, according to Moore and Brown, “frequently mirror the social, political and ideological issues in contemporary society and we often find what amounts to running debates on especially controversial issues, serving as a microcosm of the culture wars currently fought in society at large.”

BODY WORLDS invites viewers to reconsider the positions they embrace about fundamental issues such as the existence of God, the theory of evolution, and the moral certitude they have about pro-life and pro-choice beliefs. BODY WORLDS also forces them to see the fragility and vulnerability of the human body and question, if not surrender, irresponsible lifestyle choices. What could be more ethical than to allow people to confront their own mortality, ponder difficult philosophical questions, and motivate them to live in health and wellness, with inspiration as if each day were their last?

Gail Vida Hamburg, Director of Communications
Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg, Germany
g.hamburg(at)plastination.com

Museum Open Around the Clock—BODY WORLDS 2 and The Tech host 40 hour marathon!

San Jose, CA, January 22, 2008—WHAT: Following a record number of visitors to Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 2 & The Three Pound Gem over the Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend – over 21,000 visitors in three days -- The Tech Museum of Innovation will extend exhibit and museum hours and host a round-the-clock 40 hour opening for the exhibit’s final weekend.  Starting at 8:00 a.m. January 25th, The Tech will be open continuously until 11:59 p.m. on January 26th.  The extended hours apply to both the BODY WORLDS exhibition and the entire Tech Museum.

Long lines are anticipated, so online ticketing is strongly encouraged.  Visit www.thetech.org or call 408-294-TECH to purchase tickets.

WHEN: For the final week of BODY WORLDS 2 in San Jose, the hours are as follows:
Tuesday, January 22 & Wednesday, January 23
Regular hours, 9 a.m.—9 p.m. (last admission at 7:30 p.m.)
Thursday, January 24
Open 8 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. (last admission at 10:30 p.m.)
Friday, January 25 - Saturday, January 26*
Open 8 a.m. – closes following day
Closes 11:59 p.m. (last admission at 10:30 p.m.)

WHERE: The Tech Museum of Innovation, Downtown San Jose
201 S. Market Street, San Jose, CA 95113

WHY: See for yourself why 25 million visitors world-wide and close to 280,000 visitors in San Jose have seen this exhibit.  BODY WORLDS in San Jose is the only Bay Area appearance.  This is the last week to see the original exhibition created by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, inventor of Plastination and the only exhibition that uses bodies that were willed by donors especially for Plastiantion purposes. *The exhibit must close January 26, 2008.

Press Information                       
For The Tech Museum of Innovation:               
Lisa Croel, 408-795-6219 or lcroel(at)thetech.org           
For BODY WORLDS:                                      
Georgina Gomez, 408-271-6348 or g.gomez(at)plastination.com

Public Information     
408-294-TECH or www.thetech.org
 

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Press Information                       
For The Tech Museum of Innovation:               
Lisa Croel, 408-795-6219 or lcroel(at)thetech.org           
For BODY WORLDS:                                      
Georgina Gomez, 408-271-6348 or g.gomez(at)plastination.com

Public Information     
408-294-TECH or www.thetech.org
 

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