Alice Christensen

Dr. Alice Christensen is a Lecturer in the Department of German at the University of Reading, where she also serves as School Director for Recruitment and Admissions and Department Outreach Officer. Her work bridges German studies, cultural history, and interdisciplinary humanities.

• PhD in German and Interdisciplinary Humanities, Princeton University
• MA in German, Princeton University
• MPH in Epidemiology, Yale University
• BA in German and Natural Sciences, Johns Hopkins University

Her research centers on the cultural and intellectual history of 19th and 20th century Central Europe, particularly the cultural significance of temperature between 1870 and 1930. She explores how temperature functioned as a scientific, literary, and philosophical concept, as reflected in works like Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain. She has organized a Wellcome Trust-funded conference on human-animal relations, (post-)colonialism, and disease, with focus on the mosquito as a key actor. Her recent contributions include a chapter on Ernst Mach and translations of German media theory essays.

Although no publications are currently listed, her recent scholarly activities indicate active engagement in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of science, history, and literature.

She is a member of the Colonial and Postcolonial Technoscience Working Group at LSE, the Association of German Studies of the UK and Ireland, and Women in German Studies.

Dr. Christensen teaches undergraduate modules in German and Austrian literature, language, and culture, and convenes a module on fantastic literature (ML2GF). She has no listed advisees or research grants in the provided information.

She is involved in academic outreach and recruitment, reflecting a strong commitment to departmental and institutional engagement.