UCL Centre for the History of Medicine facts for kids
| Active | 2011–2014 |
|---|---|
| Director | Dr Stephen Jacyna |
| Location | |
| Website | UCL Centre for the History of Medicine |
The UCL Centre for the History of Medicine (UCLCHM) was a special place at University College London (UCL) in London. It was a centre for learning and studying the history of medicine. This means they looked at how medicine has changed over time.
The centre started in 2011. It took over from another centre called the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL. Many of the teachers and researchers from the old centre moved to the new UCLCHM.
The UCLCHM was located in the UCL Medical Sciences Building. This building is on Gower Street in the Bloomsbury area of Central London. It was near famous places like the British Library and University College Hospital.
A Look Back: How the Centre Started
The story of this centre began in 1966. The Wellcome Trust, a large charity, helped set up a small department at UCL. This department focused on the history of medicine. It was led by a person named Edwin Clarke.
The people working at UCL also had offices at the Wellcome Library. This library is on Euston Road. Librarians from the Wellcome Library helped with teaching and research.
In 1976, these arrangements became more official. They created the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. The academic staff at the library became honorary teachers at UCL.
The Wellcome Institute closed in 1999. After that, two new groups were formed. One was the new Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL. The other was the Wellcome Trust Library, which continued to be a private library.
In 2010, the Wellcome Trust Centre at UCL was recognized by the World Health Organization. This was a big achievement. However, in April 2010, the Wellcome Trust announced they would stop funding the centre. This meant it would close within two years.
So, on March 15, 2011, a new centre was announced. It was called the UCL Centre for the History of Medicine. It started in the 2011/2012 school year. This new centre was no longer funded by the Wellcome Trust. It moved from the Wellcome Building to UCL's Medical Sciences Building. Its main focus became the history of brain science and related topics.
Why the Centre Closed
The UCL Centre for the History of Medicine gradually closed down. This happened during the 2013–2014 school year. The teaching programs it offered were moved to another department at UCL. This was the UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies.
After the 2013–2014 academic year, no new students were accepted. Professor Jacyna, who was the director, also retired from UCL.
