Marion Thomas

Marion Thomas is a Lecturer in the history of science at the University of Strasbourg, affiliated with the Department of History of Life and Health Sciences within the Faculty of Medicine, Midwifery and Health Sciences. She is a member of the SAGE laboratory (Sociétés, acteurs, gouvernement en Europe), where she conducts research at the intersection of science, history, and colonial studies.

Her research focuses on the history of life sciences and medicine, particularly primatology, animal psychology, the Pasteur Institute’s colonial-era activities, veterinary medicine in the 18th century, and the relationship between cell theory and political order in the 19th century. She is particularly interested in animal agency, colonial biomedicine, and the epistemological dimensions of biological research.

Marion Thomas has published extensively on chimpanzee research in colonial and metropolitan contexts, with recent work examining the lives of individual primates such as Tarzan, Rose, and Farce. Her publications span peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, often analyzing how animals were used as experimental subjects and how their roles shaped scientific knowledge. She has presented her research at major international conferences including the American Association for the History of Medicine and the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology.

Her recent scholarly output reveals a strong thematic focus on the mobility of animals in scientific research, resistance and collaboration in laboratory settings, and the ethical and epistemological implications of animal experimentation during the colonial period. She explores how scientific practices were shaped by imperial networks and how animals themselves were active participants in knowledge production.

• Co-director, Master's degree "Science and Society: History, Philosophy, Sociology, Science Mediation" (2012–2015 & 2022–present)
• Teaches courses in history and epistemology of life sciences, neuroscience, and biology across multiple faculties including Medicine and Historical Sciences.

She actively contributes to academic discourse through conference presentations and collaborative research, demonstrating sustained scholarly engagement. Her work bridges history, philosophy, and sociology of science, with a strong emphasis on decolonizing scientific narratives and centering non-human actors in historical analysis.