Health Histories
The Health Histories research group examines the social and cultural history of health and medicine.

Health Histories
Our research
What is ‘health’ and what did it mean to be ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’ in the past? How have people’s responses to ill-health changed over time, place, and historical context? How does the history of health intersect with things like race, gender, class, sexual orientation, age, and other characteristics and identities?
This research group is interested in histories of health that take historical enquiry beyond histories of medicine or medical treatments towards understandings of health that are broad, diverse, and wide-ranging. Associated members research topics across historical periods, from the medieval to contemporary, and across global geographies and cultures
Our expertise
Discover our subject specialists who lead our research - from postgraduate research students to internationally-renowned academic staff.
More on Our expertiseOur projects
Explore our research projects directory to discover past and present research activity.
More on Our projects
Funding success for new research on 'The Soviet Union, the World Health Organization, and Global Health, 1957-1991'
Dr Rob Hornsby has received a Discovery Award worth nearly £1 million from…
Tuesday 20 May 2025
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First episode of the Global Health Histories Podcast now live
The Global Health Histories podcast series seeks to enhance understanding of…
Tuesday 18 March 2025
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Welcome to Dr Priyanka Tripathi: Research spotlight
Dr Tripathi is the School of History's Charles Wallace India Trust visiting…
Thursday 6 February 2025
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Living with the Dead: Professor Laura King on her new book
Living with the Dead: Memories, Histories, and the Stories Families Tell in…
Thursday 30 January 2025
More on Living with the Dead: Professor Laura King on her new bookWorkshop: Exposing the Archive: A Workshop on Medical Photography
Explore the relationship between images, knowledge, ethics and authorship through the medium of collage and/or zine-making.
Wednesday 11 June 2025, 10:30 - 15:30 | Events, Seminars and lectures,
More on Workshop: Exposing the Archive: A Workshop on Medical PhotographyResearch Seminar: The Ethics of Anonymity in Medical Photography
In this seminar, three academics will share short "provocations" on the theme on anonymity.
Friday 20 June 2025, 14:00 - 15:30 | Events, Seminars and lectures,
More on Research Seminar: The Ethics of Anonymity in Medical PhotographyWorkshop: Open Wide: Access and Engagement with Dental History Collections
A workshop with Rachel Bairsto, Head of Museum Services at the British Dental Association
Monday 30 June 2025, 15:00 - 17:00 |
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