Dr. Mary Hunter
Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine at McGill University
Mary Hunter was named Cotton-Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine at McGill University in 2025. She is jointly appointed as Associate Professor in the Social Studies of Medicine Department in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and in the Department of Art History and Communication Studies in the Faculty of Arts.
Hunter’s research explores the intersections between medicine, art and visual culture from the nineteenth century to the present. Her areas of interest include representations of illness and health; the role of visual and material culture in hospital collections and medical museums; depictions of medical expertise; physicians’ collecting practices; the temporal and experiential dimensions of the body; and medical waiting. Her publications and curatorial projects have explored works by artists such as Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as medical illustrations, models, and photographs by lesser-known practitioners and makers.
Previous chairs: Dr. George Weisz (2002-2025), Dr. Donald Bates (1995-2001).
