58³Ô¹Ï

Dr Richard Bellis

Associate Lecturer in Medical Humanities

Phone

+44 (0)1334 46 7013

Email

rtb8@st-andrews.ac.uk

 

Biography

My undergraduate degree in Philosophy at the University of Leeds introduced me to the history of science and medical humanities, which have been my main academic pursuits ever since. I gained an MSc in History and Philosophy of Science at University College London in the Science and Technology Studies (STS) Department, before returning to Leeds for my PhD, completed in 2019, on Matthew Baillie's work in developing the practice of morbid anatomy in Britain, c.1780-1830. 

After completion, I worked in a variety of short-term research roles at the universities of Leeds (), 58³Ô¹Ï (on the ), Bristol (), and Liverpool (). I also (and often simultaneously) held short-term teaching positions at Bristol, Durham, Leeds, and 58³Ô¹Ï. My initial role in the School of Medicine at 58³Ô¹Ï was to deliver medical ethics teaching. I was appointed to my current role in 2023. 

Teaching

Medical Humanities including Medical Ethics

Deputy Module Controller MD3002

BSc/MSc/PhD supervision

Personal Tutor 

Research areas

Historical research: my main research interests centre around the history of anatomy, pathology, and science communication in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. This incorporates an interest in medical museums and the ethics of holding and displaying historic human remains. I am also interested in how digital humanities research methods can be applied to the history of medicine.

Educational research: I am interested in how medical humanities can be taught in medical schools, and the benefits associated with doing so. 

Selected publications

• Open access
  Bellis, R. T. & Farrow, T. J., 19 Aug 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. FirstView, p. 1-27 27 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access
  Bellis, R. T., Frampton, S., Hadley, G., Wallis, J., Bleakley, A. & De Luca, G., 28 May 2025, In: Monash Bioethics Review. p. 1-20 20 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Bellis, R. T., 1 Sept 2025, In: Isis. 116, 3, p. 433-460 28 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Stark, J. F. & Bellis, R., 1 May 2024, Victorian interdisciplinarity and the sciences: rethinking the specialization thesis. Lightman, B. & Sera-Shriar, E. (eds.). Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, p. 204-223 20 p. (Science and culture in the nineteenth century).

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

• Open access
  Bellis, R., Cooper, F., Knoeff, R., McGuire, C., Parry, M., Tybjerg, K., Verwaal, R. E. & Woods, A., 13 Nov 2024, In: Wellcome Open Research. 9, p. 1-9 9 p., 249.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

• Bellis, R. & Ives, J., 2 Feb 2023, Teaching, research, innovation and public engagement . Varsou, O. (ed.). Cham: Springer, Cham, p. 3-14 12 p. (New paradigms in healthcare).

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

• Open access
  Bellis, R. T., Jun 2022, In: British Journal for the History of Science. 55, 2, p. 227 - 246 20 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access
  Bellis, R. T., 20 Mar 2020, In: Notes and Records of the Royal Society. 20 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review