Courtney Thompson

Courtney Thompson is an Associate Professor in the Division of History of Science and Technology at Mississippi State University (MSU), where she also holds the Beverly B. and Gordon W. Gulmon Dean's Eminent Scholar in the Humanities title. She chairs the Medical Humanities Minor Committee and advises Phi Alpha Theta. Her work focuses on the history of 19th-century American medicine, medical humanities, and the intersection of science, gender, and emotions.

Thompson earned her Ph.D., M.Phil., and M.A. in History of Science and Medicine from Yale University (2015) and an A.B. in History and Science from Harvard University (2009). She joined MSU in 2016, advancing to Associate Professor in 2022.

Her research explores topics like phrenology's role in criminology, the history of emotions in medical casebooks, and the medicalization of childhood sexuality. Her 2021 book, *An Organ of Murder*, examines phrenology's influence on medico-legal practices in 19th-century America. She has also published widely in journals like the *Journal of Women’s History* and *Bulletin of the History of Medicine*.

Thompson’s awards include the NEH Summer Stipend (2022) and the College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Professor Award (2020). She serves on editorial boards for *Nursing Clio* and the *Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences*.

Her courses cover topics such as the history of medicine, gender and science, and medical humanities. Thompson actively engages in public scholarship, including writing for platforms like *Arc Digital* and *Nursing Clio*.