Elise Mitchell

Elise Mitchell is a Research Fellow in the Department of History at Princeton University, specializing in the social and cultural histories of enslaved Africans and their descendants. Her work intersects with public health, medicine, and gender studies in the early modern Caribbean and Atlantic World (pre-1800).

• Education: Ph.D. in History from New York University, B.A. in History from the University of Pennsylvania

Mitchell’s research explores how enslaved communities navigated smallpox epidemics through social, political, and therapeutic practices. She is developing a digital history project based on a database of over 300 smallpox outbreaks during 1518–1806, spanning Caribbean islands and Atlantic coastal territories.

Scientific Recognition:

• Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for contributions to academic diversity