Infectious Historians

John Blair (Oxford University) joins Merle and Lee on the podcast in a discussion about his new book, Vampire Epidemics. The episode begins, as usual, with a definition of a vampire, followed by a survey of where and when these supernatural creatures appear in writings. John then discusses the phenomenon of vampire epidemics over time, noting their increased prevalence after the appearance of the printing press and their association with persecution waves. Near the end of the interview the conversation also touches upon the study of supposedly “less serious” subjects, as well as how vampires entered popular culture.

Bruce Noden (Oklahoma State University) joins the podcast to talk about his research on entomology (the study of insects). Bruce introduces his field of study and the particular context of his work on insect-borne diseases in Oklahoma looking at ticks and mosquitoes. He discusses the impacts of climate change on insects as the state’s dry line moves East and recounts several “unusual” experiences with blood-sucking insects in the field. The discussion moves on to reflect on the kind of work Bruce and his students do, before Bruce talks us through the kinds of technology he uses and a few trends in research in his field over the past half century.

Bruno Strasser (University of Geneva) and Thomas Schlich (McGill University) come on the Infectious Historians podcast to discuss their recent book on the history of masks. As usual, the episode begins with definitions, then moves to discuss some of the commonly known kinds of masks in history - such as the plague doctor bird-like beaked mask, or the masks worn in the US during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. The conversation addresses not only the masks themselves, but also their cultural meanings, the stereotypes associated with them, as well as the public’s reluctance to wear them. At the end of the interview Bruno and Thomas reflect on writing such a book during Covid, and share some of their experiences in co-authoring their book.

Brent Kaup (William & Mary University) and Kelly Austin (Lehigh University) come on the podcast to discuss their new book connecting disease and capitalism. They begin by discussing the financialization of America and link it as a cause of climate change. Financialization is also linked to diseases and specifically vector borne diseases through the suburbanization of areas such as Virginia. In parallel, Brent and Kelly also examine financialization in the context of malaria in Uganda, and how the increased exploitation of coffee created an environment that is more conducive to mosquitos, which coincided with a deterioration of the public health system. At the end of the interview, Brent and Kelly discuss how to do co-authorship.

Eran Alam (Harvard University) speaks to the Infectious Historians about foreign healthcare workers in the US. The conversation begins with an examination of doctors in the US - how many are trained (and retire), different fields and different parts of the country. Historically, immigration has been a key way in which the US has historically addressed shortages of doctors. Eram highlights the different countries - particularly in South Asia - from which doctors immigrated to the US, where they became instrumental for the US healthcare system. At the same time, this migration also had long-term impacts on doctors’ home countries.