Insights Lecture Series – 2021/22

Our renowned lecture series was back in 2021 and into the early part of 2022. Featuring world-class speakers exploring the topics that have dominated public debate, taking place in-person and online, we are pleased to be able to offer the lectures to watch back.

The first in our lecture series covers the legacy of Professor Monty Losowsky, the doctor near and dear to our hearts at Thackray Museum of Medicine. Peter Howdle (Emeritus Professor of Clinical Medicine) will talk on Professor Losowsky’s academic medical career and Bill Mathie (formerly Secretary of the School of Medicine) on Professor Losowsky’s term of office as Dean of the Leeds School of Medicine.

Palaeopathology – Are you fascinated by diseases? Fancy a respite from COVID-19? Then travel back in time to 1461 with Tim Sutherland as he investigates human remains from the Battle of Towton, Yorkshire! You can also investigate leprosy with Charlotte Roberts before jumping back to the 21st century to see how this old disease can reveal new insights in the present day.

Asylums – What was the reality of living and working in an asylum? Why were people sent to asylums? Have our attitudes towards mental health and differences from the ‘norm’ really changed? Picture the asylums through photography of institutions and explore the science of Victorian asylums with Jen Wallis’s lecture.

Sexual Health – Ever wondered what the Edwardians thought about sex? Did they even record their take on it? Have our attitudes really changed when it comes to sexual health? For this lecture, we’ll be lifting the curtain on sexual health and exploring a topic shrouded in scandal, mystery and misunderstanding.

Epidemiology – How do diseases spread? How do we stop diseases from spreading? How do we stop diseases spreading across international borders? How did the global response to COVID-19 come about? Join Adam Kucharski and Martin Mckee in this lecture to get enlightened on epidemiology.