Bettina Bildhauer

Prof Bettina Bildhauer is a Professor of German at the University of St Andrews, affiliated with the School of Modern Languages and the Institute of Medieval Studies. Her research focuses on medieval German literature, global medieval studies, and intersections of materiality, gender, and menstruation. She leads projects like the Seven Sages of Rome (AHRC/DFG-funded) and the Menstruation Research Network UK (Wellcome Trust-funded). Notable awards include the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award (2020) and Philip Leverhulme Prize (2009).

Her work bridges interdisciplinary approaches, addressing topics such as non-binary gender in global medieval texts, sustainable menstrual products, and medievalism’s influence on modern identity. Recent projects include analyzing Scotland’s period poverty policies and the historical stigma surrounding menstruation. She has supervised PhD students in medieval studies and film theory, and her monographs include Medieval Blood (2006) and Medieval Things (2020).

Awards and fellowships include a Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2017–2018) and a Humboldt Fellowship. She contributes to journals like Forum for Modern Language Studies and postmedieval, and her work engages with UN SDGs related to gender equality and sustainable development.