Oxford History of Medicine turns 50

1 wellcome unit sign and entrance

Oxford History of Medicine turns 50

Although Oxford’s History of Medicine began on a small scale in 1972, it now stands as one of the world’s leading programmes in history of medicine for both teaching and research.  Started under the direction of luminaries such as Charles Webster and Margaret Pelling, history of medicine at Oxford now features an array of undergraduate courses, a master’s degree (with the history of science), an outstanding doctoral programme, a range of research fellows and visiting scholars, and a variety of research projects under its three permanent faculty: Mark Harrison, Sloan Mahone, and Erica Charters.  Many former students and fellows may also remember beloved staff members such as Belinda Clark.  With particular strengths in the history of disease, global health, military medicine, and psychiatry, Oxford’s History of Medicine programme continues to train students and host scholars from all over the world.

On 24 & 25 June 2022, we celebrated 50 years of history of medicine at Oxford.  We invited all former students, researchers, and staff to come and join us, in person or online, to share their experiences of history of medicine at Oxford and what they are doing now.  We had two half days of talks by current and past members, shared videos made by students talking about their research topics, and celebrated in true OCHSMT style with a BBQ/Garden Party to mark this important milestone in the history of medicine at Oxford.

The Past, Present, and Future of the History of Medicine: Oxford History of Medicine turns 50


If you were unable to attend, we would still like to hear from you.  Please contact us at hom@history.ox.ac.uk with any stories you may wish to share, or to be added to our network.