Medical History, Ethics and Law

Professor Matthew Eddy's presentation will draw from his current research in which he uses the career of Dr James McCune Smith, the first African American to receive an MD (Glasgow 1837).  It will explore the role of patient testimony in statistics gathering from clinical settings, a practice which was shaped in the 19^th century by the need to gather forensic evidence for court cases.  The contemporaneous relevance of the historical experience and what this tells us about the moral dimensions of medical data gathering will be considered.  See Matthew's profile at: Professor Matthew Daniel Eddy - Durham University.  

Dr Emily Webster will be speaking on her very interesting research concerning the ecology of historical epidemics.  Information about Emily's research can be found at Dr Emily Webster - Durham University.  Details of Emily's topic will follow.  

The presentations will be followed by questions and by discussion about the possibilities of medical history research as a vehicle for exploring legal and ethical research questions.

The event is scheduled for 1.5 hours to allow for discussion and questions after the presentations, but it's fine for persons who have to leave early (eg for teaching at 2pm etc.) to attend.

The event will take place in person in Room PCL054 of the Palatine Centre,  Online attendance will also be possible via Zoom.  We kindly request persons who will be attending to complete the registration form at: https://forms.office.com/e/NpxnR2QaBf.  We need to know numbers of persons who will be attending in person as we may organise some catering for attendees.  

Separate registration is also required for persons who plan to attend the event online.  If you are planning to attend online, then please click on the link set out below.  This will take you to the Zoom meeting registration page.

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://durhamuniversity.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIkf-uprjojGtz68YF4Wgk8mEeB7n0Ehsec

We hope to see many of you on Monday 23 January at 13.00 for what promises to be a fascinating event.  

Contact: Dr Olivia Woolley