As an integral part of the new Medicine and Humanities program, History of Medicine is experiencing a revival at uOttawa. In 2016-17, we launch our seminar series that will offer a variety of educational, extracurricular and professional activities related to history of medicine, nursing, health and disease. As part of their training, some of our students and residents pursue research projects bound for poster competitions, conference presentations and peer-reviewed journals. 

Hannah Chair

Professor Susan Lamb
Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine)
M.A. (University of Toronto)
B.F.A. (York University)

Professor Susan Lamb

Professor Lamb is the Jason A. Hannah Chair in History of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine’s new Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME). Her scholarly interests span the history of medicine, across time and its diverse subject matter, and her research program includes work on the historical development of university medicine and medical education, anatomy and pathology, psychiatry, nursing, and global health and disease. In collaboration with other members of DIME’s Medicine and Humanities Unit, Professor Lamb is involved in developing humanities-based learning strategies in Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) curriculum, coordinating teaching in History of Medicine, and supervising undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate research.

The Jason A. Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine at uOttawa was endowed by Associated Medical Services (AMS) in 1977. One of eight such research chairs at medical schools across Canada, the Hannah Chair is named in honour of the charitable organization’s founder, a physician and medical administrator who recognised that a working knowledge of medicine’s history enriches both undergraduate medical education and health care delivery. Dr. Lamb follows the university’s inaugural Hannah Chair, Professor Emeritus Toby Gelfand, appointed in 1977, who established the University of Ottawa as a leader in scholarship and teaching in History of Medicine.

If you wish to receive emails regarding opportunities and activities related to the History of Medicine, please contact Doris Peixoto.

Students and Researchers

History of Medicine teaches medical students how to reconcile medicine’s outstanding technical achievements and humanitarian contributions with uncomfortable realities.

Women driving an ambulance in World War 1

Kim Girouard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in History of Medicine

Kim Girouard holds a Ph.D. in cotutelle from the Université de Montréal and the École normale supérieure de Lyon and is a specialist in the history of medicine and health in modern China. Before joining the Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME) at the University of Ottawa, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Montreal Centre for International Studies (CÉRIUM). Her research interests include the medicalization of motherhood and the feminization of the medical profession in southern China’s Guangdong province in the early 20th century.

François-Dominic Laramée, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Digital History of Medicine

François Dominic Laramée joined the Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME) at the University of Ottawa after he defended his doctoral thesis in History at the Université de Montréal in June 2019. His work has been published in Digital Studies / Le champ numérique, the Revue d’histoire de l’Amérique françaiseThe Programming HistorianDocument numérique and the Journal of European Periodical Studies. He received the Paul-Gérin-Lajoie outstanding emerging scholar award from the Fonds de recherche du Québec — Société et culture and numerous other scholarships and fellowships. Before becoming a digital historian, he completed a Masters in Computer Engineering at Concordia University and worked in the video game, television, publishing and interactive media industries.

Those interested in doing a research project involving medical history as part of their medical or residency training, or graduate work in the history of medicine at the University of Ottawa, should contact professor Susan Lamb at [email protected].

Medical History Collective

A medical history club returns to the University of Ottawa! Everyone is welcome and, like its namesake, the Medical History Collective is a place to relax and enjoy yourself. Historians lead guided discussions of the most interesting and provocative works in the history of medicine, nursing, disease and health sciences. You don’t need to read the book or article in advance, but when we’re done, you’ll think you did!

To join, please email Dr. Susan Lamb at [email protected].

Funding Opportunities

Geza and Caroline Hetenyi Memorial Studentship $6000

The Hetenyi Studentship offers an undergraduate student at the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Health Sciences an opportunity to conduct a project of original research on some aspect of the history of health care or health sciences, which can be completed during the three months of the summer recess. Students should select a supervisor for their project who is knowledgeable in the chosen topic and approved by the administrative committee. Potential supervisors include faculty members (MD, RN, or PhD), the Hannah Chair, a professor or PhD candidate in the History Department, or an archivist or librarian. Winners of the studentship will produce a written report at the end of the research period and are strongly encouraged to present their findings at Meredith Marks Day and History of Medicine Days at the University of Calgary. Students can apply via uOzone.

AMS Postdoctoral Fellowship $45,000

The Associated Medical Services (AMS) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide emerging scholars with funding to complete work already started on projects related to the history of health care, disease, medicine, or the education of health professionals, or to begin a new project in the field. Interested candidates can visit the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation website for more information.

Hannah Summer Studentship $5,500

These summer studentships are funded by AMS and administered in partnership with the Canadian Society for the History of Medicine. Undergraduate students and medical students registered at Canadian universities may apply to receive support for a closely supervised research project on the history of medicine. For more details, please visit the Canadian Society of the History of Medicine’s website.

Additional Funding

For more funding opportunities in the history of medicine, can be found on the AMS website.