Christos Lynteris

Christos Lynteris is a Professor of Medical Anthropology at the University of St Andrews, leading research on zoonotic diseases and the history of epidemiology. His work integrates historical analysis, visual studies, and ethnography to explore how diseases like plague shape and are shaped by human societies. He currently directs the Wellcome Trust-funded project The Global War Against the Rat and the Epistemic Emergence of Zoonosis, examining rat control strategies from 1898–1948. Previously, he led the ERC-funded Visual Representations of the Third Plague Pandemic, analyzing photographic archives to trace the emergence of epidemic visualization.

Education:

• PhD in Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews (2010)
• Postgraduate and undergraduate studies in Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews

Research Interests:

• Zoonotic disease transmission and control
• Colonial medicine and public health
• Medical visual culture and photography
• Plague’s epistemic history
• Interdisciplinary approaches to epidemics

Publications Overview: His work bridges anthropology, history, and critical theory, with a focus on plague’s visual and material legacies. Recent publications include Visual Plague: The Emergence of Epidemic Photography (MIT Press, 2022) and co-edited volumes on rural disease knowledge and zoonosis. Articles explore themes like anti-epidemic masks, maritime fumigation, and the political ontology of pandemics.

Awards:

• Teaching Award, Sub-Honours, University of St Andrews (2011)

Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD students in medical anthropology and historical anthropology. Co-investigator on UKRI/MRC projects addressing rodent-borne diseases in Madagascar and Tanzania. Former Mellon and Isaac Newton Fellow at CRASSH, University of Cambridge.

Labs/Teams: Director of Research and Museums Officer at the Department of Social Anthropology. Collaborates with global institutions including the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and the Collège de France.