We have been established as a Research Centre affiliated with the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at UCL, although teaching in BSc, MSc, and PhD programmes will continue. Thanks to the fine leadership of my predecessors, Bill Bynum , Vivian Nutton and Roy Porter, and the strong support of the leaders of the Wellcome Trust and UCL, the transition of the Centre to UCL has been smooth, even positioning us for modest expansion.
All people suffer illness and eventually die.
The establishment of the Centre at UCL and the recruitment of a new Director ushers in an era in which vigorous outreach to people in other fields and other parts of the world is crucial. Continuing the respectful exchange of knowledge between the best minds in all fields related to the history of medicine remains crucial to the vitality of medical history. Working with other members of the anatomy department will ensure that historical study remains stimulated by the concerns of all those who think about health, disease, and the nature of things, and members of the Centre will continue to offer historical training to scientists, physicians, and anyone else who desires it. We also need to develop new ways and means for encouraging excellent work in related fields such as the history of science and technology, anthropology and sociology, political science and economics, so that our historical methods remain sharp. Moreover, we will be launching several new initiatives aimed at encouraging historical conversations between British and other scholars.