Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine: Background
The Unit was based on a research group which transferred from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, (UMIST) and included Roger Cooter and Joan Mottram. The Unit grew steadily from 1986, with several Wellcome lectureships by the end of the 1990s.
In 2002, Professor Michael Worboys became the Director of the Centre, which in 2004 joined the new Faculty of Life Sciences at the University. This change has enabled staff to work more closely with researchers, postgraduates and undergraduates in the biological sciences and medicine, while also maintaining their links with other Sciences and the Humanities.
The Centre has a Trust-funded outreach officer who works with schools and with the general public through activities based in museums, science festivals and wider programmes. Staff expertise contributes to print and broadcast media to ensure that their research reaches the widest possible audience.
The Centre has always focused on science, technology and medicine since the industrial revolution. Much of its work is now directed to the twentieth century, for which it is one of the world's leading research groups. With the recruitment of David Kirby, a focus on Science Communication has been added - studying the ways in which science communities interact with popular audiences.
