Welcome to the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology’s New Newsletter!
Blog content
We’re excited to launch this little newsletter as a way to keep our vibrant community up-to-date on all the exciting things happening here at the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology (EdCMA). With so much going on, we want to ensure you’re always in the loop, whether you're currently in Edinburgh or based somewhere else in the world. Our community has been growing faster than ever, and it seems like there's something happening every week—talks, workshops, social events, and more!
This newsletter will be your go-to source for everything happening at EdCMA, but it's also a way for us to stay connected with our wider community of students, researchers, and staff—whether you're here in Edinburgh or you’ve moved on to other exciting adventures. We’ll also be highlighting events from other institutions and celebrating the achievements of our amazing alumni. Have some news to share? We’d love to hear from you—don’t hesitate to get in touch!
This is my first semester as Director of EdCMA, and I’ve been constantly amazed by the creativity and enthusiasm of our community. Since September, we’ve participated in a range of inspiring workshops and events. Highlights include a powerful conference on Reproductive Violence and a thought-provoking student symposium on ‘South Asia in Writing’. We’ve also had the privilege of welcoming some incredible guests to share their expertise with us. Professor Ann Kelly of Oxford University led a PhD MasterClass that offered invaluable insights to our students, while Rebecca Lewis from Buglife, Conservation Scotland, delivered an eye-opening talk on the intersection of health & environment. These events are just the tip of the iceberg!
Our students have also been busy organizing wonderful events of their own, including a hike through the stunning Hermitage of Blackford and Braid, put on by the Students of Medical Anthropology (SoMA). It’s been a truly dynamic few months, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the semester brings.
In short, there’s never a dull moment here at EdCMA! We’re deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and engaged community, and this newsletter is just one way we hope to keep that spirit alive. Whether you're in Edinburgh or elsewhere, we hope you'll continue to be part of our journey and stay connected with us.
Below, you’ll find all the details about our upcoming events in November, along with details of how to sign up for our mailing list so you can stay in the loop. I’d be incredibly grateful if you could take a moment to forward this email to any alumni or others who might be interested. Feel free to encourage them to join our mailing list too—let’s keep growing this wonderful community together!
Thanks for reading, and we look forward to sharing more with you soon!
Warmly,
Laurie Denyer Willis
Director, Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology
Details on signing up to our mailing list are here (scroll to the bottom of the page for instructions): https://www.edcma.sps.ed.ac.uk/about
November Events: https://www.edcma.sps.ed.ac.uk/news-events
Global Mental Health and Society Seminar Series - Addressing the consequences of mental health stigma: lessons learned in Ethiopia:
7th November, 3-5pm, Online & In Person.
Crooked Cats by Nayanika Mathur: Meet the author!
8th November, 11am – 1pm.
Details here: https://www.edcma.sps.ed.ac.uk/news-events/event/crooked-cats-nayanika-mathur-meet-author
Anthropological analysis in a scrambled world: A MasterClass with Professor Cori Hayden, Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley:
11th November, 11am – 1pm. Registration Required.
Details here: https://www.edcma.sps.ed.ac.uk/news-events/event/anthropological-analysis-scrambled-world-masterclass-professor-cori-hayden
SoMA (Students of Medical Anthropology) Events
SoMA Bonfire Night (TONIGHT!) in Portobello: please reach out to Hugo Edgoose (H.Edgoose@sms.ed.ac.uk) for the details.
Med Anth and Postgraduate Pub Social: Thursday 7th of November , meet at 17:30 – 18:00: We have come up with a loose plan/plot of making the first Thursday of the month an anthropology PG and Staff Pub Social at Bennet’s Bar (by King’s Theatre) at around 17:30-18:00 for some socialising (sneaking glances at their wildlife cam stream to spot a fox or two).
Reading Group: SoMA meets fortnightly for a Medical Anthropology Reading/Discussion Group. Please be in touch with Hugo Edgoose (H.Edgoose@sms.ed.ac.uk) for details & meeting times.
Writing Group: SoMA runs a weekly Collaborative Writing Workshop that meets every Thursday at 1.2 in the Lister Learning Centre from 10am to 1pm. Please be in touch with Marie Louise Wöhrle (M.A.R.Wohrle@sms.ed.ac.uk) if you require more details.
HOW TO SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST (I’m not going to lie, there are a few steps):
If you wish to subscribe to our mailing list, please send an email to sympa@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk
Do not put anything in the Subject Line of the email.
In the message body put the following information:
SUBSCRIBE edcma-soc-anth-list - EdCMA Subscriptions NAME (i.e., this is your first name and surname)
If you normally have an automatic signature at the end of your email, please insert the word QUIT just before your signature.
(If you experience any issues with the subscription process or just want to be added manually, please email James.Gilmour@ed.ac.uk or me at Laurie.deneyrwillis@ed.ac.uk )