Social Studies of Medicine Postdoctoral Fellowship: “The 21st-century Medical Museum”

The Department of Social Studies of Medicine (SSoM) invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship on the contemporary medical museum. This timely theme marks a new administrative link between of McGill University’s Maude Abbott Medical Museum to the Department of Social Studies of Medicine. We invite applications on the history and anthropology of pathological and anatomical collections; the parallel roles of dissection and display in medical education; the rise of consent for the donation of remains to museums; the ethics of displaying, curating, and holding human remains; the current movements to de-colonize medical-school museums and re-patronize Indigenous artifacts and specimens.

The substantive research areas of SSoM faculty members that relate to this theme include work on the history of surgery and autopsies, curator Maude Abbott, the rise of the medical museum, the history of medicine at McGill University, bio-medical ethics debates around consent, the history of tattoos, and the history of human experimental physiology. 

Founded in 1966, SSoM is a dynamic, interdisciplinary research and teaching unit in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University. SSoM faculty and postdocs study a wide array of topics, and represent the fields of history, architectural history, anthropology, the sociology of medicine, and science and technology studies. 

The SSoM fellow will be appointed for one year, with the possibility of a 2nd year renewal. The fellow is expected to be on campus during the tenure of the appointment, and will be provided with a workspace in the department. There is a possibility of teaching medical students, under separate contract, but the appointment’s chief objective is to facilitate research. Approximately half of the fellow’s time will be spent developing her or his own research agenda and the other half will be spent working on projects with a designated SSoM supervisor. 

Qualifications: A PhD in the humanities, social sciences, anthropology, history, science and technology studies, bioethics, women’s studies, or a related field is required before the start date and the applicant must be no more than three years beyond receiving the degree by the start of the appointment. The appointment may begin as early as 1 May 2024.

Review of applications will begin on 31 January 2024 and will continue until the position is filled or the search is closed; early submission is encouraged. 

Applications must include: 1) a cover letter that includes a description of current research, future plans for research, and interest in the position; 2) a curriculum vitae; 3) one sample of scholarly writing (a published article or unpublished paper or chapter); and 4) the names of three referees to provide letters upon request.  Applicants who do not have a completed PhD at the time of application must include a letter from the Department Chair specifying the date of the dissertation defense. Please submit your application to McGill Workday.