Leilanie Clayton

Teaching philosophy

Teaching interests

Leilanie is deeply passionate about exploring creative, hands-on, and student-centered ways to teach her favorite subject: Anatomy. Her teaching philosophy blends clarity, structure, and respect with a strong commitment to experiential learning. She believes that anatomy is best understood through active engagement—not just reading or watching, but dissecting, exploring, and questioning.

She is at the forefront of combining traditional cadaveric dissection with modern educational technologies, such as surgical camera imaging, digital editing, and interactive online tools. She regularly creates custom anatomical visuals and edits photos to build a growing educational image library for her department. Her work also includes three-dimensional dissection techniques, helping students visualize spatial relationships between structures in a more realistic and memorable way.

Leilanie strongly believes in accessibility in learning—meeting students where they’re at by scaffolding complex content from the basics upward. Her lessons are known for being structured yet flexible, technical yet human. While she maintains high standards and adheres closely to Gross Lab protocols—especially in honoring the anatomical donors—she always invites questions, curiosity, and a little bit of fun.

In every setting, her goal is to share her deep enthusiasm for anatomy in a way that is memorable, meaningful, and practical—empowering learners to not only pass but to truly understand.

Educational responsibilities/ teaching summary

Leilanie plays an integral role in the Gross Anatomy Department, contributing to nearly every stage of lab-based education. Whether she’s planning sessions, developing instructional content, or assisting in the lab, her involvement is hands-on and wholehearted.

She serves as the department’s Lab Coordinator, overseeing all lab calendar items, room and equipment bookings, and anatomical specimen use. Her attention to detail ensures that lab operations run smoothly, efficiently, and respectfully. She liaises with faculty, students, and administrative staff to maintain a well-organized and professional lab environment that supports both teaching and research.

As the department’s lead pro-sector, she prepares cadaveric specimens, images, and instructional videos using advanced tools such as the surgical camera and touchscreen VH Dissector. Her work supports multiple anatomy courses and enhances the lab experience for students across the health sciences.

Leilanie teaches anatomy across multiple colleges within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, including the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and the Physician Assistant Program. Her teaching spans a variety of levels and learner backgrounds. In addition to formal course instruction, she is a frequent contributor to interdisciplinary anatomy workshops, where she supports hands-on learning through prosection, instructional media, and guided lab sessions. Her cross-college involvement reflects a commitment to collaborative, clinically relevant, and inclusive anatomy education.

She also coordinates a selective summer student program, offering a small group of students the opportunity to participate in hands-on dissection and anatomy learning. This focused experience deepens their understanding of human structure while fostering mentorship, professionalism, and a greater appreciation for anatomical donation.

Teaching themes

• Clarity through Structure: Leilanie believes in starting from the basics and gradually building to complex systems, ensuring students of all backgrounds feel included and capable.
• Respect and Protocol: She models a strong commitment to lab protocols and donor dignity, setting clear expectations while fostering professional growth.
• Encouragement and Support: No question is ever too small. She encourages curiosity and uses multiple strategies to help students grasp difficult concepts.
• Innovation Meets Tradition: Her integration of physical dissection with digital tools creates a dynamic, multimodal learning experience.