Caroline Petit

Caroline Petit is Professor of Classics and the History of Medicine at the University of Warwick, where she serves as Director of Graduate Studies and Erasmus and Exchange Students Officer. She is affiliated with the Department of Classics and Ancient History within the Faculty of Arts, and is an associate member of the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance. Her research is deeply interdisciplinary, bridging classical philology, the history of medicine, and Renaissance studies.

• PhD in Classics, Paris IV - Sorbonne
• M.A. and M.Phil in Classics and French, Paris IV - Sorbonne

Her research interests focus on the textual transmission, translation, and interpretation of ancient medical texts, particularly those of Galen. She explores the history of rhetoric in medical writing, the long reception of ancient medicine into the Renaissance, and the intellectual frameworks shaping medical humanism. Her work combines philological rigor with cultural and historical analysis, examining how medical knowledge was preserved, transformed, and repurposed across centuries.

Her recent publications and research projects reveal a strong trend toward understanding the boundaries of the Galenic corpus, including the study of pseudo-Galenic texts and their impact on medical scholarship. She has led major funded projects such as the Wellcome Trust University Award on 'Medical Prognosis in Late Antiquity' and the BA-Leverhulme project 'Rethinking Ancient Pharmacology'. Her publications span critical editions, monographs, and articles in leading journals, with a consistent focus on Galen’s pharmacology, rhetoric, and intellectual legacy.

• Prix Lantier de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (2010)
• Prix Raymond Weil de l'Association pour l'encouragement des études grecques en France (2010)
• Médaille de Chénier de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (2019)
• Wilhelm Friedrich Bessel Research Prize of the Humboldt Foundation (2020)

Caroline Petit actively supervises PhD and Master’s students in areas including ancient medicine, medical humanities, intellectual history, and rhetoric. She has sponsored students for Wellcome PhD scholarships and maintains a vibrant research group. She has also organized and participated in numerous academic workshops and conferences, such as those on 'Illness, Health and Healing in Late Antiquity' and 'Pseudo-Galenic texts', fostering international collaboration. Her personal website and blog, medicineancientandmodern.com, serve as a hub for her scholarly output and public engagement.