Emily Webster, PhD, MSc
@emilywebz.bsky.social
Assistant Professor in the History and Philosophy of Health and Medicine at Durham University. #Epidemics #Environment #Health past and present.
Waiting for a late night flight out of Johannesburg after a couple of wonderful weeks in Lusaka and Joburg! I’m so humbled that so many people gave us their time and insight, and it felt so great to be in research mode again - and bursting with ideas. Hoping I’ll be back soon!
Doing some research at the Wits Adler Medical Museum on gut microbiome research in SA, I can’t help but feel that what I am actually accidentally going to write is a history of diarrhea
Exploring some of Johannesburg and the Cradle of Humankind - an excellent way to spend the weekend.
Early start this morning as I head off to Johannesburg and Lusaka for a couple of weeks! I can’t wait to get stuck in at the archive and explore two totally new cities. Moments where I get to flex my historian muscles like this are the best.
PHD Scholarship, University of Sydney Project title: Symbiotic Synergies Project abstract: This project aims to investigate how developments in today’s microbiology arose from earlier microbiology. Start: August 2026 to January 2027. Further Information at www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
ARC Postgraduate Research Scholarship
A $40,109 per annum stipend scholarship for research students within the Faculty of Science.
sydney.edu.au
As demand for cobalt, gold and other minerals grows, mining is accelerating deforestation in the Congo basin – and increasing the risk of deadly Ebola outbreaks
A disease of deforestation: how Ebola is linked to the smartphone in your pocket
theguardian.com
Today is the US launch of my book, The Hobo: A History of America's First Climate Migrants! press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
The Hobo
A panoramic history of America’s first climate migrants
press.princeton.edu
Coinciding with this, I've just given an interview about the book with the New Books Network host Miranda Melcher. Give it a listen if that's your jam! newbooksnetwork.com/the-hobo
Robert Suits, "The Hobo: A History of America's First Climate Migrants" (Princeton UP, 2026) - New Books Network
newbooksnetwork.com
Robert Suits@robertsuits.bsky.social · 2mo agoToday is the US launch of my book, The Hobo: A History of America's First Climate Migrants! press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
When you see the story about how the world now has its first trillionaire, and when you see the story about how laboratories in Congo have run out of supplies to test for Ebola, it is important to understand that in many ways these are the same story.
From materials on race and health, to primary sources, teaching tools, and more, the AHA’s Bibliography of Historians' Responses to COVID-19 features vetted commentary and publications relevant to the COVID-19 crisis.
A Bibliography of Historians' Responses to COVID-19 | American Historical Association
The AHA compiled a professionally vetted bibliography of historians’ responses to COVID-19 as a resource for the public, teachers, and scholars.
historians.org
Coming to the end of year four as faculty, I have concluded that the biggest daily challenge I face is consistently under-estimating what I can do in an hour, and over-estimating what I can do in fifteen minutes.
I think it says a lot about the US these days that there are like three different “protein latte” options at Starbucks but zero vegan breakfast options
We quite literally have a whites only refugee program and somehow the media won’t call the Administration white supremacists.
Mother Jones@motherjones.com · 2mo agoEvery single refugee we've let in since December is supposedly fleeing white genocide.
Let's talk about hobo radicalism. Day 19/31 of convincing you to buy my book.
A thought-provoking piece in the guardian today - www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
The dinosaurs of international aid must adapt or die – their expensive era is over | Halima Begum
Shiny HQs, layers of management and pricey overheads are hard to defend when funds are far better spent at local level, says charity executive Halima Begum
theguardian.com
Day 9/31 of convincing you to buy my book: Let's talk about vagrancy laws!
Convincing you to buy my book, day 5/31: Let me tell you, briefly, about our terms for the homeless. Because, while *we* use them more or less interchangeably, if you were in any such communities around the turn of the twentieth century, "hobo," "tramp," and "bum" all meant pretty different things.
Convincing you to buy my book, day 6/31. Continuing on a theme from my last post, let me talk briefly about how people's perceptions of homelessness have existed historically, and how they have changed over time.
I guess what I'm trying to say is I have it on good authority that the book smells good?
Robert Suits@robertsuits.bsky.social · 3mo agoIn lieu of a fun hobo fact today: Our dog, being progressively less and less interested in my author copies arriving.
Convincing you to buy my book, day 3/31. Let's talk about climate disasters -- how are they experienced by people in their work or everyday lives? Hobos -- American migrant workers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries -- show us one possible answer.
Convincing you to buy my book, day 4/31: it's Tuesday, which means it's time for a FUN HOBO FACT Where does the term "hobo" come from? For such a modern word, the etymology is extremely unclear!
Convincing you to buy my book, day 2/31! What can the past tell us about energy transitions? If you read some current historians, it gets quite dismal. In fact, they might tell you energy transitions never actually happen. Energy has been added to our economies. But no fuel has ever been replaced.
It's real!!!!! (Pre order at press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...)
And if you're following me, my deepest apologies, because I'm going to be promoting this book every day for the next month, until its US release on June 16th! I'll try to drop a new interesting tidbit about hobo lore or the book more generally to keep it interesting!
If really you want to know more, pre-order my book, The Hobo: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco..., or better yet, order it from your local bookstore. Audiobook also available for pre-order on Audible!
The Hobo
A panoramic history of America’s first climate migrants
press.princeton.edu
Convincing you to buy my book, day 1/31: How to sneak onto a train? There are options. You can try when it's stopped, but there will be security. More reliable is to catch it "on the fly." You wait for the train somewhere you know it will being going slow -- a hill, a crossing. Then, you run.
I never imagined that this beautiful of a view might be part of my commute to work - photo snapped while waiting on my bike under a tree for a spring shower to pass
Reminder that this is tonight! :)
Emily Webster, PhD, MSc@emilywebz.bsky.social · 4mo agoHey @durham.ac.uk people and Durham residents! If you like a pub quiz and a good cause, come along to the Station House’s medical mysteries pub quiz on April 19! all proceeds go to the Institute for Cancer Research!!
