Find Academic Supervisors

Jonathan R. LyonView profile

Professor

• Medieval History
• Holy Roman Empire
• European Political History
• +6 more

Jonathan R. Lyon is Professor of History of the High and Late Middle Ages at the Institute for Austrian Historical Research within the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies at the University of Vienna. He maintains office hours on Thursdays from 14:00-16:00 (available via Zoom by appointment) and can be contacted at jonathan.lyon@univie.ac.at or +43-1-4277-27297. His educational background includes: B.A. in History and Latin, Colgate University (1997, Summa cum laude) Exchange year at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (1996) M.A. in History, University of Notre Dame (1999) Ph.D. in History, University of Notre Dame (2005) Lyon's research centers on the Holy Roman Empire during the High and Late Middle Ages, European political and social structures (1000-1500), the evolution of statehood, corruption mechanisms, medieval kinship systems, and gender dynamics with particular emphasis on masculinity. His work examines how political power, social networks, and religious institutions intersected in shaping medieval governance and community life, often challenging traditional narratives about medieval state formation through comparative analysis of German and Hungarian contexts. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent chronological focus on the 12th-15th centuries with increasing attention to corruption, gender, and monastic institutions since 2015. His scholarship demonstrates methodological diversity through charter analysis, prosopography, and comparative institutional studies, while maintaining thematic continuity in examining power dynamics between nobility, monarchy, and religious entities across Central Europe. His major scientific awards include: 2024 Otto Gründler Book Prize for Corruption, Protection and Justice in Medieval Europe: A Thousand-Year History 2017 John Nicholas Brown Prize for Princely Brothers and Sisters: The Sibling Bond in German Politics, 1100–1250 Lyon has secured prestigious research funding including the Fulbright Fellowship (2000-2001), DAAD Research Fellowship (2007), FWF Lise Meitner Fellowship (2013-2014), and Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (2017-2018). He served as Academic Director of the Berlin Consortium for German Studies (2012-2013) and currently advises the Manchester Medieval Sources Series. His ongoing projects include editing charters of Quedlinburg abbesses and authoring an introductory text on the medieval Holy Roman Empire.

Max DeegView profile

Professor

• Transcultural Buddhist History
• Spread of Buddhism in Asia
• Buddhist Narratives
• +7 more

Professor Max Deeg is a leading scholar in Buddhist Studies at Cardiff University , holding a personal chair since 2009. With a career spanning institutions in Germany, Austria, and the UK, his research focuses on transcultural Buddhist history from India to East Asia, Chinese Buddhist travelogues , and interreligious encounters in medieval China. He has held visiting positions at universities in Japan, Nepal, the US, and Germany, and currently directs the Centre for the History of Religion in Asia (CHRA) . PhD from University of Würzburg (1990) Dr. phil. habil. in Religious Studies (1998) Full Professor at University of Vienna (2002-2006) His research explores Buddhist narratives as tools for constructing religious identity, foundation myths in trans-Himalayan contexts, and terminology evolution in Chinese Buddhist translations. Recent publications analyze Indian Buddhist monasticism through Chinese sources and religious concepts like xin (trust) across Buddhist, Manichaean, and Christian traditions. Awarded the KHK Visiting Research Fellowship (2016) and a DAAD Scholarship (1986-87) , Prof Deeg contributes to editorial boards of major journals. He supervises PhD students and teaches Buddhist Studies , Life of the Buddha , and Chinese Buddhist Texts .

Angelika MalinarView profile

Professor

• Hinduism in history and present
• Indian philosophy and aesthetics
• Sanskrit literature (especially epic and Purana)
• +2 more

Angelika Malinar, Professor of Indology at the University of Zurich and member of its Gender Studies Department, specializes in Hinduism, Indian philosophy, and Sanskrit literature. Her work spans historical and modern contexts, with a focus on epic texts and Indo-European exchanges. She co-edits the Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism and contributes to the University Research Priority Program "Asia and Europe." PhD and habilitation from University of Tübingen Researcher at Tübingen, Berlin, and London Her research integrates Sanskrit epics, philosophical traditions, and modern Hindu identity. Recent publications analyze Mahābhārata theology, ritual practices, and cross-cultural interpretations. She explores how texts like the Bhagavadgītā and Nārāyaṇīya bridge ritualism, aesthetics, and individual authority. Key article trends examine cosmological monotheism , epic decision-making , and colonial reinterpretations . Her editorial roles include interdisciplinary volumes on time, purity, and Indo-European cultural dialogues. As a Senior Lecturer at SOAS and Professor in Zurich, she has led projects on monastic institutions, rasas, and canonical formation. Her work contextualizes Indian philosophy within global frameworks, notably nineteenth-century German Indology.

Julie OrlemanskiView profile

Associate Professor

• Medieval Literature
• Medical Humanities
• History of Science
• +6 more

Julie Orlemanski is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. She holds a Ph.D. and MA from Harvard University (2010) and a BA from the University of Georgia (2004). Her scholarly work bridges late medieval literature with contemporary theoretical debates in literary criticism, the history of science, and the philosophy of fictionality. Harvard University - Ph.D. and MA (2010) University of Georgia - BA (2004) Her research focuses on medieval medical discourse, the poetics of literary personhood, and the historiography of fiction. She is currently completing Making Literary Persons: A Poetics of Voice in Chaucer , which explores Chaucerian narratology, and developing a book on Bernard of Clairvaux's Sermons on the Song of Songs , considering how medieval writing virtualized embodied speech. Her 2019 monograph Symptomatic Subjects examines medical causation in pre-modern literature. Julie serves as Book-Review Editor for Exemplaria: Medieval, Early Modern, Theory (2025–) and has edited special issues on trans-regional medieval studies. Her recent publications analyze medieval fictionality, personification, and the ethical stakes of literary voice. She has presented at the English Institute Annual Conference and organized graduate research symposia.

• Late Antiquity
• Syriac Studies
• Greco-Roman Near East
• +4 more

Professor Alberto Rigolio is a scholar of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University, specializing in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Roman and Late Antique periods. He focuses on Syriac literature, Greco-Roman intellectual traditions, and the reception of classical texts in early Christian and Islamic contexts. Rigolio holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University and has held prestigious fellowships at Harvard, Princeton, and All Souls College, Oxford. He serves as Chair of the Board of Examiners at Durham and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His research explores the transformation of classical dialogue forms in late antiquity, the transmission of Greek texts into Syriac and Arabic, and the cultural intersections between Greco-Roman, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Key works include Christians in Conversation (Oxford UP, 2019), which examines late antique dialogue literature, and a forthcoming book on the emergence of Syriac literature supported by British Academy and Princeton IAS fellowships. Education: BA/Milan, D.Phil./Oxford, Postdoctoral Fellowships at Harvard and Princeton Affiliations: Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Durham Rigolio's articles analyze Syriac translations of Aristotelian works, Plutarch, and Themistius, revealing how Greco-Roman thought was adapted to meet religious and cultural needs. His projects include studies on Syriac rhetoric, the Roman household in late antique conflicts, and para-biblical narratives. He supervises postdoctoral researchers and PhD students on topics ranging from Syriac literary culture to late antique religious identity. Awards: British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship (2024), All Souls College Visiting Fellowship (2024) Grants: Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, American Philosophical Society He directs research labs examining Syriac intellectual culture and co-ordinates interdisciplinary projects on late antique translation movements. Rigolio is actively involved in public outreach, offering talks on Roman religion, Palmyrene military identity, and the Graeco-Syro-Arabic textual tradition.

• Medieval History
• Carolingian Period
• Political and Ecclesiastical History
• +4 more

Steffen Patzold is a Professor for Medieval History and Auxiliary Sciences at the Department of History, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Tübingen, since 2008. He previously held research and teaching positions at the University of Hamburg (1999–2006), Max Planck Institute for European Legal History (2007), and University of Kassel (2007–2008). His research focuses include the Carolingian period, political and ecclesiastical history, monasticism, perception patterns in the Middle Ages, and interdisciplinary projects like the DFG-funded 'Migration and Mobility in Late Antiquity' and Collaborative Research Center SFB 923 'Threatened Orders.' Education: University of Hamburg (History, Art History, Journalism, 1996–1999; PhD, 2000) Affiliations: Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, SFB 923 subprojects E02/F02, DFG Centre for Advanced Study in Humanities His recent publications analyze Carolingian political structures, feudal systems, historical semantics, and interdisciplinary topics like archaeogenetics. Key projects examine local societies in Carolingian Europe, bishop networks, and crisis management in early medieval orders. He collaborates extensively in edited volumes and international journals, particularly on comparative medieval studies.

Mark AllonView profile

Associate Professor

• Buddhist Studies
• Indology
• Manuscript Studies
• +3 more

Mark Allon is an Associate Professor and Chair of Discipline in South Asian Buddhist Studies at the University of Sydney. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and a BA (Honours) from the Australian National University. His research focuses on early Buddhist literature, Gandhari manuscripts, and the textual traditions of South and Southeast Asia. Allon leads major projects, including the study of the Senior Kharosthi manuscripts and the conservation of the Kuthodaw Pagoda inscriptions in Myanmar. Education: PhD (Buddhist Studies, Cambridge), BA (Asian Studies, ANU; Hons 1), Dip. Arts (City Art Institute) Key Roles: President of the Australasian Association of Buddhist Studies, Board Member of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, and member of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre His research interests include the composition and transmission of early Buddhist texts, Gandhari and Pali languages, and the cultural heritage of Gandhara. Current projects involve digital humanities initiatives for Buddhist manuscripts and the study of marble stelae inscriptions in Mandalay. Allon has received grants such as the Robert H. No Ho Family Foundation Grant (2019) and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation award (2019). He advises on the Dhammakaya Tipitaka Project and collaborates with institutions globally on manuscript preservation.

• Church History
• Syriac Christianity
• Early Christianity
• +5 more

Professor Martin Heimgartner is an Adjunct Professor of Church History at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg's Faculty of Theology, where he has served as a private lecturer since 2007 and as adjunct professor since 2014. He also works as a research associate at the Theological Seminary of the University of Zurich since 2009. His academic career spans multiple institutions including the Universities of Zurich and Basel where he completed his doctoral and habilitation work. Heimgartner's research focuses on Syriac Christianity, particularly the works of the East Syrian Patriarch Timotheus I (780-823), Christian-Muslim relations in early Islam, philosophy and theology of Syrian Christians, John Chrysostom, Greek and Syrian florilegia literature, and 2nd century Christian apologists. His scholarly work demonstrates deep engagement with primary sources through critical editions and translations of Syriac texts. His publication record shows consistent scholarly output with emphasis on Timotheus I's writings, with multiple monographs published through prestigious series like Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium (CSCO). His work bridges historical theology, textual criticism, and interreligious studies, particularly examining early Christian-Muslim dialogue. The articles reveal a progression from textual editions toward more thematic studies on theological concepts like Trinitarian doctrine in interreligious contexts. His scholarly contributions include numerous encyclopedia entries in major reference works such as Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart (RGG) and Der Neue Pauly, covering figures from early Christianity. He has also collaborated on editorial projects including a volume on Apollinarius. Notably, Heimgartner maintains a dual scholarly identity, combining theological research with musicology. His musicological editions, particularly for Cecilia Bartoli's Malibran project, demonstrate expertise in historical musical works from the 19th century, showing his interdisciplinary approach to historical scholarship across different cultural domains.

Amy G RemensnyderView profile

Professor

• Medieval History
• Cultural History
• Religious History
• +13 more

Amy G. Remensnyder is Professor of History and Giancarlo Family Provost's Professor of History at Brown University, where she has taught since 1993. She also holds the Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence title, reflecting her commitment to pedagogy. Her research focuses on medieval Europe, particularly the cultural and religious history of the Mediterranean, with emphasis on Muslim-Christian relations, monastic memory, and the global history of captivity. PhD, University of California, Berkeley (1992) A.B. summa cum laude, Harvard University (1983) Additional studies at Cambridge University and École des Hautes Études, Paris Her research interests include medieval Iberia, colonial Mexico, religious symbolism, transcultural history, and the role of memory in identity formation. She explores how religious figures like the Virgin Mary functioned as symbols of conquest, conversion, and interfaith entanglement. Her work bridges medieval and early modern periods, challenging disciplinary boundaries and incorporating insights from art history, anthropology, and literary studies. Her recent articles reveal a sustained engagement with themes of religious coexistence, sacred space, and cross-cultural devotion in the Mediterranean world. She examines how Muslim and Christian sailors shared shrines, how Moriscos developed their own Marian scriptures, and how Mary symbolized both war and diplomacy. Her scholarship combines deep archival research with theoretical sophistication, contributing to fields such as oceanic history, borderland studies, and the history of emotion. Van Courtland Elliott Prize (Medieval Academy of America) Fellow, Medieval Academy of America Berlin Prize, American Academy in Berlin Guggenheim Fellowship ACLS/SSRC/NEH Fellowship William G. McLoughlin Award for Teaching Excellence Remensnyder has directed major research initiatives and served on editorial boards, including Al-Masāq: Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean . She founded and directs the Brown History Education Prison Project, reflecting her commitment to engaged scholarship. She has received funding from the Swearer Center and has developed innovative courses on captivity and medieval lyric. Her leadership includes directing Brown’s Program in Medieval Studies (2010–2012) and serving on the Medieval Academy of America’s council. She is currently working on three book projects: Island of Trust in a Sea of Danger: Lampedusa , a maritime microhistory; Neighbors: Life in a Medieval Borderland , an archival study of Muslim-Christian relations in Iberia; and A Global History of Captivity , a synthetic overview of captivity across time and space.

Daniel CanerView profile

Professor

• Byzantine Studies
• Late Antiquity
• Christian Philanthropy
• +5 more

Professor Daniel Caner is a Core Faculty member and Director of the Program in Ancient Studies at Indiana University Bloomington's Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He also serves as Adjunct Faculty in History, Classics, and Religious Studies. His research focuses on late antique religious and social history, particularly the intersection of monasticism, philanthropy, and ecclesiastical structures in the Byzantine world. Caner's academic work examines topics such as early Christian charitable practices, monastic mobility, and the construction of sacred authority through material culture. He has published extensively on figures like John Chrysostom and monastic figures in late antiquity, analyzing how religious institutions shaped social hierarchies and cultural memory. His recent publications explore the socio-economic dimensions of Christian charity, the role of ascetic itinerancy in promoting monasticism, and the legal/ritual frameworks defining sacred spaces. Courses taught include courses on Byzantine history, Near Eastern religions, and macrohistorical patterns of change. No research grants or advising details are explicitly noted in the provided materials. He is affiliated with IU Bloomington's Global and International Studies Building and maintains ties with interdisciplinary programs in ancient studies and religious studies.

Sondra HausnerView profile

Professor

• Anthropology of Religion
• South Asian Studies
• Migration Studies
• +3 more

Professor Sondra Hausner holds the title of Professor of Anthropology of Religion at the University of Oxford, where she is also a Fellow and Tutor in Theology and Religion at St Peter's College. She concurrently serves in multiple academic roles: as a member of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, and as a Research Associate at the Centre for Migration, Policy, and Society (COMPAS). She was a visiting professor at the University of Tübingen's Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology in 2015. Her research focuses on the anthropology of religion, including shamanic healing in South Asia, comparative philosophical traditions between Indian and European thought, political ideologies in Indian asceticism, and Nepali migrant religiosity in diasporic communities. She leads the 'Orientophilia' network under TORCH, exploring intellectual cross-pollination between Asian and European philosophies. Her major works include monographs on Himalayan asceticism and London's ritualized commemoration of historical sex workers, alongside edited volumes on gendered renunciation, Durkheimian sociology, and diasporic religious citizenship. Her academic education includes an AB from Princeton University and MA/PhD from Cornell University.

Catherine HiggsView profile

Professor

• Southern African History
• Portuguese Colonialism
• Atlantic World Studies
• +9 more

Catherine Higgs is a Professor in the Department of History and Sociology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus. Her research focuses on Southern Africa , Portuguese colonialism , and Atlantic World histories, with emphasis on activism , labor , political history , and women's movements . She teaches courses on African commodities, British and Portuguese colonialism, and contemporary world history. Education: PhD, MPhil, MA (Yale University); BA Honours (Queen’s University) Her research examines intersections of colonial policy , labor exploitation , and transnational activism , including works on cocoa slavery in São Tomé and Príncipe, African nuns' resistance during apartheid, and South African political figures like D.D.T. Jabavu. She has received grants from the National Humanities Center and Rockefeller Foundation . Scientific awards include the 2024 Sol T. Plaatje Translation Award for her role in publishing D.D.T. Jabavu’s travelogue. As a graduate supervisor, she mentors students in African studies and labor history. She served as Head of her department from 2015-2020 and previously taught at the University of Tennessee, University of Nebraska at Kearney, and Rollins College.

Kevin BuckelewView profile

Assistant Professor

• Chinese Buddhism
• Chan (Zen) Buddhism
• Buddhism and Daoism
• +7 more

Kevin Buckelew is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Northwestern University specializing in Chinese Buddhism, with particular expertise in Chan (Zen) traditions and Buddhist-Daoist interactions. He earned his B.A. in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and his Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University. Affiliation: Northwestern University, Religious Studies Department Education: B.A. (Sarah Lawrence College), Ph.D. (Columbia University) His research explores Chan Buddhist claims to authority equivalent to the historical Buddha, focusing on embodiment, gender, and institutional practices during the Song dynasty. He also investigates Buddhist-Daoist intellectual exchanges, particularly regarding theories of liberation and bodily practices. Recent publications include Discerning Buddhas: Authority, Agency, and Masculinity in Chan Buddhism (2025) and co-edited volume Buddhist Masculinities (2023). His work appears in top journals like Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies and T’oung Pao , supported by Fulbright and Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai grants. Scientific Awards: Fulbright Program Grant Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai Grant Buckelew's scholarship combines textual analysis, historical methodology, and thematic explorations of moral responsibility and gender construction in premodern Chinese religious contexts.

Stefan EsdersView profile

Professor

• Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages
• Roman and Byzantine Military Systems
• Legal History
• +7 more

Prof. Dr. Stefan Esders is a Professor of Late Antiquity and Early Medieval History at the Friedrich Meinecke Institute , part of the Free University of Berlin . His scholarly work bridges Roman, Byzantine, and early medieval European history, with a focus on legal systems, oaths, and military structures. His research interests include: State formation and military organization across Rome, Byzantium, and the Frankish kingdoms. Legal history of oaths, loyalty, and conflict resolution (e.g., wergild and compensation). North Africa in late Roman and Vandal contexts, emphasizing cross-cultural interactions. Ethnic identity formation at imperial borders and Mediterranean cohesion (6th–9th centuries). Historiography and hagiographical narratives in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. His work spans the Gallia and Iberian Peninsula , analyzing the transition from Roman imperium to post-imperial regna. Notably, he explores vernacular legal practices and the role of religion in political identity. His scientific accolades include: Distinguished Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2025/26). Corresponding Fellow at the Medieval Academy of America (since 2025). Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Tokyo (2024). Premio Anassilaos (2024) for interdisciplinary contributions. Member of the Academia Europaea (since 2021) and the Monumenta Germaniae Historica (since 2020).

Matthias RiedlView profile

Associate Professor

• Religion and Politics
• Intellectual History
• Political Theology
• +14 more

Matthias Riedl is Associate Professor in the Department of Historical Studies at Central European University (CEU), where he is also a member of the Center for Religious Studies and the Doctoral School of History. He holds affiliations with the Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies and has taught extensively in comparative political thought and religious history. His academic career includes prior roles as Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Visiting Assistant Professor at Duke University, and Visiting Lecturer at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. His educational background includes an M.A. and Ph.D. (summa cum laude) from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. His research lies at the intersection of religion and politics, focusing on intellectual history, apocalypticism, and radical religious movements from late antiquity to the early modern period. He has a strong interest in comparative frameworks, including non-Western political thought and religious dissent across cultures. Riedl’s recent publications explore themes such as apocalyptic violence, the political theology of Thomas Müntzer and Joachim of Fiore, and the secularization of religious concepts in modern ideologies. His work bridges historical analysis with philosophical inquiry, often engaging with theorists like Eric Voegelin and Karl Löwith. The articles reflect a consistent focus on millenarian thought, revolutionary agency, and the symbolic continuity of apocalyptic traditions across epochs. Among his scientific contributions are numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and edited volumes on topics ranging from the ordering of time to the city as a symbolic center. Though no formal awards are listed, his extensive publication record and international academic engagements reflect scholarly recognition. Riedl has supervised numerous doctoral and master’s students on diverse topics including church-state relations, religious violence, and comparative theology. He has directed multiple international summer schools on religion and politics, often in collaboration with institutions like Duke University. His research is supported by long-term projects and interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly through the Eranos Conferences. He is actively involved in research groups and has contributed to collective works on prophets, time, and the secular sphere in theology. His ongoing monograph on Thomas Müntzer underscores his commitment to understanding revolutionary religious thought in historical context.