Expressions of Interest Sought for Medical Humanities project on Dentistry & Teeth in Britain

Dr Claire L. Jones, Director of the Museum of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Leeds writes: At the Museum of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Leeds, we are currently developing a new medical humanities project on dentistry and teeth in Britain and are looking for expressions of interest from medical humanities scholars with suitable research interests who may be interested in being involved.

The project seeks to bring together historical research, current dental research and sociological perspectives to uncover the importance of teeth in everyday life and how they have long affected our eating habits, our appearance and the way we communicate each other. The Museum at Leeds has an extensive historic dental collection and archive, as does the Thackray Museum and the British Dental Museum, which would form the basis of the historical research, while healthcare scholars and sociologists would lead other project strands.

At this stage, I’m looking for expressions of interest with a view to submitting a Wellcome small medical humanities grant in order to bring together those interested in a workshop (late 2014). If successful, this will then form the basis of a much larger project bid.

Please contact me via email if you are interested, know of anyone who might be interested or would like to find out more. I look forward to hearing from you.