Personal profile

Research interests

My research interests lie in the intersections of medical, art, social and material histories. I have a particular interest in printed images and book illusrations. I explore such images as both artworks in their own right, and as essential contributions to the book as a material and an epistemological object.

My PhD thesis examined early modern printed images of the fetus in utero, or 'birth figures'. It sought to examine how these popular printed images were used and understood by people of different kinds, and how they both reflected and influenced early modern cultures of the body, midwifery, and visual representation.

My current research focuses on midwifery illustration of the nineteenth century in England, and particularly on the collections of the Manchester man-midwife Thomas Radford. I am exploring what this archive of books and images (both print and manuscript) can tell us about how midwives and surgeons of the period were trained to think about, visualise and treat the pregnant body.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, History of Art, University College London (UCL)

20142018

Master of Arts, History of Art, University College London (UCL)

20122013

Bachelor of Arts, English Language and Literature, Oxford University

20082011

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

  • John Rylands Research Institute and Library

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