WHO: Ronit Yoeli-Tlalim (University of Pennsylvania), Michael Stanley-Baker (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore), Joaquín Terrones (MIT)
WHAT: The Challenge
As recent and current health crises have demonstrated, there is an urgent need to think more broadly and more cross-culturally about health, healing and illness prevention. It is increasingly acknowledged in both state and global health bodies, there is much we can learn from knowledge of the past. These wells of knowledge are often in various forms of precarity.
WHY: Motivations & Intentions
This project explores historical and cross-cultural notions of health and wellness, focusing on their relevance to contemporary challenges in global healthcare. By examining how diverse societies have historically defined and practiced health, we gain valuable insights into mind-body connections, preventive care, personalized medicine and links with the environment. The project aims to resuscitate historically rooted medical knowledge that could enhance both medical practice and public understanding. Advocating for a broader, multi-epistemological therapeutic perspective that incorporates insights from traditional Asian and European practices, this initiative will provide tools and insights from medical history and anthropology for the benefit of meeting some of today’s global health complexities.
HOW: Methods & Tools
- Podcast Series
- Interdisciplinary Podcast Series: Launch “Global Medical Heritage in the Age of Bioregulation,” a podcast series featuring dialogues with health professionals, policymakers, and academics to explore the global impact and lessons of Asian medicine.
- Blueprinting Workshop
- Workshop for research exchange and knowledge sharing, bringing together a diverse group of scholars and practitioners to share their unique research perspective, methodologies, and recent findings on Asian and other traditional medicines.
- Topics include policy governance and legislation concerning traditional medicine practices and markets; the rights of indigenous practitioners and the socio-political challenges they face; how globalization affects the knowledge transmission of traditional practices, especially within marginalized communities; and the intersection of digital humanities and traditional medical knowledge, with emphasis on creating accessible archives and novel tools for healthcare delivery.
HOW CAN I JOIN? Activities & Events in 2025
- Spring 2025: Interdisciplinary Podcast Series: Global Medical Heritage in the Age of Bioregulation. Contact the project team to join
- Spring or Fall 2025: Blueprinting Workshop. Contact the project team to join
For further details, contact the project leaders.