Michelle Pfeffer

Dr Michelle Pfeffer is a Calleva Postdoctoral Researcher and Prize Fellow in Early Modern History at Magdalen College, University of Oxford. She holds a BA in History from the University of Queensland (UQ), an MSc in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology from Harris Manchester College (Oxford), and a PhD in History from UQ (2020), supported by the Australian Research Council.

Her research focuses on the interplay between scientific and religious thought in early modern Europe, particularly the 'disenchantment of the world' concept. Current projects include the decline of astrology in England and the role of astrologers in forecasting. She co-curated the Bodleian Library's 'Oracles, Omens & Answers' exhibition (2024-2025) and published Divination, Oracles, and Omens (2024). She has also written for History Today, The Conversation, and Past and Present.

Teaching includes Early Modern British History, Approaches in Anthropology/Art History, and the Scientific Revolution (1540–1740). She is affiliated with the Oxford Centre for History of Science, Medicine and Technology and the Newton Project. Awards include the Charles Webster Prize and the John Bunyan Society Early Career Prize.