EDCMA

Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology (EdCMA)

A world-leading academic unit dedicated to the anthropological study of the body, health and medicine


Welcome to EdCMA

We are excited to welcome new and returning students to EdCMA for the first semester of 2021/22. We've really missed seeing everyone in person, but have been delighted at how well our community has responded to the last year and a half, finding new spaces for intellectual and social collaboration! 

We're busy planning online events, so keep an eye out for them on our events and news pages. We'd love to hear from you, so please get in touch with Dr Laurie Denyer Willis if you have any questions or if you'd like to propose an event.

In the meantime, you can keep up-to-date with our activities on our blog sites, COVID-19 Perspectives blog and Health-E: The Edinburgh Health Blog, the Edinburgh-hosted Open Access journal, Medicine Anthropology Theory, and through our social media channels - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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About

The Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology (EdCMA) is a world leading academic unit dedicated to the anthropological study of the body, health, and medicine.
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Studying Medical Anthropology

We offer two MSc programmes, the Taught and Research MSc in Medical Anthropology. Both can be taken as routes into our dynamic PhD programme in Social Anthropology.
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SoMA: Students of Medical Anthropology

SoMA is a group run by postgraduate students within the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology.

Latest blog posts

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04/02/2025

EdCMA Newsletter No.2

Dear EdCMA Community

Welcome back! We hope you all had a restful break and are ready for another exciting semester. With the new year upon us, we’re thrilled to kick off this spring with a packed calendar of events, new faces, and important updates to keep you in the loop. As always, we’re here to foster a vibrant and engaged community, and we can’t wait to share what’s coming up!
18/11/2024

Intercalating at SPS: a Medical student’s guide to the social sciences

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of intercalation, you perhaps wouldn’t expect our doctors of the future to be spending a year of their degree studying social sciences. But intercalating is a valuable experience, and was particularly so for Priyanka, our blog writer who spent her year away from Medicine with SPS.

Our events

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28 April 2025
15:00 - 18:00

EdCMA Annual Lecture 2025

Our Annual Lecture on April 28th will feature Bharat Venkat, a leading scholar in the anthropology of climate change and environmental health, at UCLA. Bharat will be speaking about his new research examining the intersections of heat, vulnerability, and the social dimensions of climate crises, with insights into how environmental change reshapes everyday experience and health outcomes.

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29 January 2025
12:30 - 13:30

Meet the Science Journalist in Residence

Introduction & Collaboration Event to meet with Suvi Jaakkola, Frontiers Visiting Fellow.
New Ros Greiner poster event 27/11/2024
27 November 2024
16:00 - 17:30

From women and babies to patriarchy and ableism: an ethnographic perspective on Congenital Zika Syndrome in Colombia

In this seminar Dr Ros Greiner will discuss a number of theoretical advances towards conceptualising the intersection of patriarchy and ableism at the level of the family. She will draw on her doctoral fieldwork, which she conducted with families raising children with Congenital Zika Syndrome in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Cori Hayden Masterclass 11Nov
11 November 2024
11:00 - 13:00

Anthropological analysis in a scrambled world: a masterclass with Professor Cori Hayden

Join us for this EdCMA PhD Masterclass with Professor Cori Hayden.

This masterclass is aimed at PhD students in Anthropology, STIS, Sociology, Social Policy, and Usher Social Sciences.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn from Professor Hayden and enhance your knowledge and skills in your PhD journey. Reserve your spot now!

Our news

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11/11/2024

MAT Issue 11.3 and Special Section

We’re happy to announce that the 11.3 issue of Medicine Anthropology Theory is available online.

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25/10/2024

Staff & Student Visit to Fungi Forms Exhibition

07/06/2024

Applications open! MAT journal is searching for Position Pieces section co-editors

Medicine Anthropology Theory is soliciting applications for two co-editors for the journal’s Position Pieces section. As a team, the new Position Pieces co-editors will work with authors to develop contributions, as well as with reviewers in the peer-review process for submissions, and overall contribute to the leadership and direction of the MAT journal.

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01/05/2024

Reproductive Violence Conference

This conference takes place on 2nd and 3rd September 2024 (9:00-17:00) at the University of Edinburgh.

In this conference we will explore understandings of reproductive violence, in the light of the reproductive justice framework, as a violation of bodily autonomy and the rights to have children, to not have children, and to raise any children one chooses to have in a safe and healthy environment.