David Gentilcore

David Gentilcore is a Full Professor of Modern History at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, specializing in early modern European history with particular focus on medical practices, environmental humanities, and water management. He serves on the Scientific Committee of the Centre for Environmental Humanities (NICHE) and leads the ERC-funded "Water-Cultures" project.

• PhD from University of Cambridge
• Wellcome Trust and Leverhulme Trust grant recipient
• Director of Canadian Academic Centre, Rome (1992)

His research spans medical history, public health, and environmental humanities, with significant work on:
• Water management in Venice and Naples
• Pellagra and nutritional diseases
• New World plant integration in Italian agriculture
• Medical charlatanism and professional regulation

Recent publications highlight hydraulic engineering in 16th-century Venice, water quality in early modern Italy, and medical databases tracking mental health and disease patterns. His work combines archival research with interdisciplinary approaches to environmental and medical history.

Scientific achievements include:

• Salvatore De Renzi International Prize (2012)
• Jason A. Hannah Prize (2008)
• ERC Advanced Grant for Water-Cultures
• Wellcome Trust funding (2003-2008)

Active in historical database construction (Venetian Mental Asylums Database, Italian Charlatans Database) and interdisciplinary education through publications, conferences, and international collaborations.