Join us for the PSI seminar on Monday, 13 January at the Richard Doll Building, Lecture Theatre. We are delighted to host Dr. Claas Kirchelle,Adjunct Professor at University College Dublin. Antimicrobial resistance is a major crisis, with a long history. In this talk, Dr Claas Kirchelle introduces the history of antimicrobial development and use across contexts, and considers implications for our future actions.
The talk will take place from 16:00 to 17:00. A drinks reception, offering networking opportunities and informal discussions, will follow from 17:00 to 18:00.
More information about the talk
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major planetary health crisis and an important way in which microbes cope with accelerating anthropogenic stressors. However, for over a century, humans have reacted to AMR by trying to steward antimicrobials rather than microbiota. This presentation reviews the historical evolution of antimicrobial infrastructures in human and animal medicine, AMR science, and the numerous (un)intended consequences of trying to ‘fix’ existing modes of drug use since 1940. It highlights the entrenched neglect of the environmental domain by decision-makers and argues for a new era of eubiotic governance of the microbial commons.
Biography
Dr. Claas Kirchhelle is a historian of “bugs and drugs,” specialising in the history of microbes, laboratory infrastructures, and the development, marketing, and regulation of antibiotics and vaccines. He is an Associate Research Professor at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in Paris, based at the CERMES3 Unit, and an Adjunct Professor at University College Dublin (UCD).
Supported by a Wellcome Trust University Award, his research investigates the history of laboratory networks, microbial culture collections and technologies central to infectious disease surveillance. As part of a Norwegian Research Council-funded consortium, Claas examines the decline of antibiotic innovation pipelines and the impact of technological and market changes on drug development. In collaboration with the Oxford Vaccine Group, he is conducting oral history research on British vaccine development, trials, and damage compensation since the 1970s.
