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Prof Catherine Burns
Associate Professor
Catherine Burns is a medical and health historian educated in South Africa and in the USA. She inaugurated the first medical humanities interdisciplinary programme in the Southern African region and has taught undergradu
Last reviewed: 2026/07/15
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Catherine Burns is a medical and health historian educated in South Africa and in the USA. She inaugurated the first medical humanities interdisciplinary programme in the Southern African region and has taught undergraduates and supervised many graduate students in humanities and health sciences faculties. Her interests include: health in the history of African societies; indigenous, missionary, colonial and biomedical health systems; the history of clinician- led research; reproduction and sex (midwifery, obstetrics, contraception, children’s hospitals, the history of sexuality and gender roles); epidemics in Southern African history; and ethics, inequality, race and power in African health settings. Having been based at Wits University for many years Catherine has just taken up an appointment at the University of Johannesburg. From Bantu Gynaecology to the Birthsuit: Medical Science in South Africa The Politics of Knowledge in the Biomedical Sciences South/African Perspectives 2023-11-07 | Book chapter Part of ISBN: 978-3-031-31912-9 CONTRIBUTORS: Catherine Burns For more works see: ORCID Id https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7533-238X
