The Medical Humanities Research Group (MHRG) seeks to foster research in the growing area of medical humanities which may be broadly defined as research exploring the relationship between medical knowledge and humanities research. 

 

More specifically, medical humanities seeks to explore the discussion or representation of topics relating to health, disease, and the human body in cultural historical texts, using medical and scientific knowledge to frame these readings.

However, the group’s aim is also to think about the ways in which this knowledge can, not just expand our understanding of literature, art or history, but be useful to medical or scientific practitioners and researchers.

As such, the MHRG can make an important contribution to debates on a broad range of topics, including:

  • Children’s health and its representation in literature and other media
  • Women’s reproductive health and rights
  • The experience of pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood
  • Gender health disparities
  • Eating disorders and body image
  • Diet and nutrition
  • Addiction
  • Neurodiversity
  • Transatlantic slave trade
  • Assisted dying
  • Pandemics and epidemiology
  • Vaccine programmes and vaccine resistance

Membership

Dr Lucy Arnold – Senior Lecturer in English Literature and RKE coordinator for IoAaH
Prof. Nicoleta Cinpoes – Professor of Shakespeare Studies
Dr Barbara Mitra – Principal Lecturer in Media and Film Studies
Dr Anna Muggeridge – Lecturer in History
Prof. Suzanne Schwartz – Professor of History
Dr Ruth Stacey – Lecturer in Creative Writing
Prof. Jean Webb – Professor of Children’s Literature
Dr Sharon Young – Senior Lecturer in English Literature (MHRG lead)

 

Research Student Members

Felicity Miles – PhD Student
Charlotte Goodger – PhD Student

Associate Membership

Louise Price
The George Marshall Medical Museum

Current Projects

Histories of Giving Birth Project
This is a joint project between the University of Worcester and the George Marshall Museum lead by Dr Anna Muggeridge.

Haunting Issues: Children, Spectrality and Culture
An AHRC funded project lead by Dr Lucy Arnold

Violence in Iron and Silver: Data Visualisation and the Reconstruction of Identities through Slave Brands
Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and lead by Prof. Suzanne Schwartz and Dr Katrina Keefer, Trent University, Canada.

 

Get in touch

For more information on our research or opportunities please get in touch with:

Dr Sharon Young