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In Do Less Harm, editors Courtney E. Thompson and Kylie M. Smith bring together a group of leading historians and scholars to confront one of the most pressing questions in health history: How can we ethically approach stories of medicine and health without perpetuating harm? This thought-provoking collection invites readers into a crucial conversation about the responsibilities of historians when documenting the past. Through carefully curated essays, the contributors explore the ethical dilemmas that arise in researching, teaching, and writing about the history of health care. From patient privacy to the politics of archives, the essays cover how health histories have often overlooked, misunderstood, or misrepresented the people and communities most affected by medical practices. The contributors challenge the assumptions of the field, offering a more thoughtful approach to historical research—one that emphasizes empathy, accountability, and inclusivity. The book raises provocative questions and proposes practical strategies for historians and scholars to do less harm in their work and is organized around key themes such as research, teaching, writing, and public engagement, making it an indispensable resource for anyone working in the history of health care, ethics, or the health humanities. With its engaging style and accessible insights, Do Less Harm offers a fresh and timely perspective for academics, students, and readers interested in the ethical challenges of representing the past. Featuring Courtney E. Thompson, Mississippi State University Kylie M. Smith, Emory University Recorded on February 3, 2026 For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/perspectives/do-less-harm-ethical-questions-health-historians#80906

"Trans and Intersex Health from Past to Future" will bring together academics and activists to explore the history of trans and intersex people’s experiences of health and medicine in a global perspective. The discussion will examine histories of clinical practices, state policy, individual identity, and community making in the United States, and beyond. The panelists will reflect on how these histories can help us think about the present, and future, of trans and intersex health. Featuring Howard Chiang, Professor of East Asian Languages & Cultural Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara Dallas Denny, Activist and co-editor of “A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States” Zavier Nunn, Northwestern University Moderator Carlo Sariego, PhD Candidate in Sociology & Gender Studies, Yale University Rovel Sequeira, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies and English, University of Michigan Recorded on October 9, 2025 For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/perspectives/2025-history-medicine-week#79804

"Medicine Crossing Borders" explores how issues of immigration, medicine, and health have intersected in the past and present. The panelists will discuss policy, public opinion, and medical practices that have shaped immigrant experiences as both patients and as practitioners. They will discuss race, citizenship, and access to care across time and place, and think through how these histories can help us understand the crises of immigration and health today. Featuring Eram Alam, Associate Professor, History of Science, Harvard University William Lopez, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity, University of Michigan School of Public Health Rachel Louise Moran, Professor, Texas A&M Joel Daniel Olea-Calixto, PhD Candidate, Department of History, University of California, Davis Andre Rosario, Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Nursing, Rutgers University Recorded on October 9, 2025 For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/perspectives/2025-history-medicine-week#79798

Federal regulations are typically borne out of crisis. This conversation will examine how policy is set, starting in the Progressive Era and moving into the present day. For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/perspectives/2025-history-medicine-week#79794

Topics: Think big questions and frame them well; crafting your grant; personal experience. Speakers: Gerardo Ienna is postdoctoral researcher at the University of Verona, Italy, and a Marie Curie global fellow (Grant Number 101026146). Simone Turchetti is Professor in history of science and technology at the Manchester University, UK, and PI of the ERC research project “Neworldata”. Recorded on May 29, 2025. For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/node/79597

Topics: Should I turn my dissertation into a book?; How to find the right press; how to approach editors; how to outline a book proposal; collective authorship and editing; why book series. Speaker: W. Patrick McCray is Professor at the History Department at the University of California Santa Barbara, USA, and a series editor for Johns Hopkins University Press. Recorded on May 15, 2025. For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/node/79600

Topics: Best practice in communication in teams; different ways of collaboration; are virtual tools a game changer; national styles; are we moving towards “big history”? Discussants: Olival Freire Jr. is Professor in history of science at the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil, and Director of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development. Roberto Lalli is Assistant Professor in history of science and technology at the Polytechnico di Turino, Italy, and PI of the research project “FusEUrope”. Jinyan Liu is Professor at the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China, and vice-chair of the department of History of International Science and Technology. Recorded on April 24, 2025. For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/node/79326

Topics: Academic vs non-academic jobs; Work-life balance; gender; transition out of academia. Speaker: Arwen Mohun is Professor in history at the University of Delaware, United States. Mohun has coordinated a working group on career diversity at the Consortium for History of Science Technology and Medicine. Recorded on April 10, 2025 For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/node/79325

Topics include: The nuts and bolts; communication with editors; deadlines; the balance of criticism; how to connect the book-under-review to previous work; why are novel disciplinary perspectives relevant? Speaker: Gleb Albert is Assistant Professor in General and Eastern European History at the University of Luzerne, Switzerland, and experienced book review editor of H-SOZ-KULT. Recorded on February 27, 2025. For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/node/78647

Christa Kuljian discusses her book, Our Science, Ourselves: How Gender, Race, and Social Movements Shaped the Study of Science. Focusing on a network of female scientists who began to examine women in science, gender and science, and sexism and racism in the institutions of science, Kuljian helps to uncover the early days of feminist science studies. Speaker: Christa Kuljian was a Research Fellow at the Consortium in 2019-2020. She is a free-lance writer based in Johannesburg, where she writes and teaches narrative non-fiction and focuses on writing about social justice. Christa is currently a Research Associate at WiSER (Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research) at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She is also the author of two previous books, Sanctuary (Jacana Media 2013) and Darwin’s Hunch (Jacana Media 2016). For more resources on this topic, please see https://www.chstm.org/perspectives/christa-kuljian-our-science-ourselves.

Topics include: How to find suitable journals; how to respond to reviews; the role of journals in acdemic discourse; the policies and politics of journals. Discussants: Silvia Figueirôa is Professor at the University of Campinas, Brazil, and has edited several collective volumes. Joseph D. Martin is Associate Professor at Durham University, UK, chair of the editorial board of Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences, editor-in-chief of Physics in Perspective, and book reviews editor for the British Journal for the History of Science. Doubravka Olšáková is Senior Researcher in History at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, and deputy editor of Centaurus. Tiago Saraiva is Full Professor of History at the Drexel University, USA, co-editor of History and Technology and a member of the Cambridge History of Technology editorial team. Recorded on March 27, 2025. For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/node/78650

Topics include: What is oral history; limits and (dis-)advantages; biases; lessons from the practice; what to consider when producing and analyzing interviews; good technologies. Speakers: David Zierler is the Ronald and Maxine Linde Director of the Caltech Heritage Project, USA. Previously, David directed the Oral History Program at the American Institute of Physics. Sara Baum is an oral history transcription specialist and project manager, specializing in the history of science. Recorded on March 6, 2025. For more information visit: https://www.chstm.org/node/78648

In this episode of Perspectives, we speak with Benjamin Breen and Jonathan Moreno on the history of psychedelic drugs in America. There is a resurgence of interest in psychedelics in the medical world as possible treatments for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This resurgence comes after a period during which psychedelic drugs were thought to be dangerous and have no medical value. An earlier perception was more optimistic. Figures such as Margaret Meade and Timothy Leary looked to drugs like peyote and LSD to allay fears, provide insights, broaden cultural perspectives and lead to chemical enlightenment. As mainstream institutions take yet another look, join us to examine the changing legal, medical and cultural perspectives on psychedelic drugs. Benjamin Breen is Associate Professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His second book is Tripping on Utopia: Margaret Meade, the Cold War and the Troubled Birth of Psychedelic Science. In addition to his academic publications, his writing has appeared in the The Washington Post, Paris Review Daily, The Atlantic, Slate, Aeon, The Pacific Standard, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Public Domain Review, Nautilus, and Lapham’s Quarterly. Jonathan Moreno is the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor Emeritus at University of Pennsylvania, where he works on bioethics, health policy, and the history and sociology of biology and medicine. He is the author of six books and numerous academic papers, and his work as also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Science, Nature, Slate, Politico, The Hill and Foreign Affairs. For more information on this and other topics, please see https://www.chstm.org/video/77474 Recorded on December 10, 2024.

Join us for a discussion of the history of psychedelic drugs in America. There is a resurgence of interest in psychedelics in the medical world as possible treatments for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This resurgence comes after a period during which psychedelic drugs were thought to be dangerous and have no medical value. An earlier perception was more optimistic. Figures such as Margaret Meade and Timothy Leary looked to drugs like peyote and LSD to allay fears, provide insights, broaden cultural perspectives and lead to chemical enlightenment. As mainstream institutions take yet another look, join us to examine the changing legal, medical and cultural perspectives on psychedelic drugs. Speakers: Benjamin Breen Associate Professor University of California, Santa Cruz Jonathan Moreno David and Lyn Silfen University Professor Emeritus University of Pennsylvania

Historians of medicine often express the desire for their work to reach broader audiences; however, popular platforms—be they television, radio, podcasts, corporate or social media—can reach many but touch few. History of Medicine Week is dedicated to exploring the risks, benefits, experiences, and best practices for historians of medicine to make meaningful connections beyond familiar scholarly communities. This episode: Elena Conis University of California, Berkeley For more information on this and other topics, please see https://www.chstm.org/video/200