Luis Alejandro Salas

Luis Alejandro Salas is an Associate Professor of Classics at Washington University in St. Louis, serving as Director of Undergraduate Studies and Classics Study Abroad Advisor. He holds a PhD in Classics and MA in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin's Joint Program in Ancient Philosophy. His research focuses on Greek and Roman medicine, philosophy, and intellectual history, particularly Galen of Pergamum's work and Aristotelian psychology.

Salas' scholarly contributions include his 2020 monograph Cutting Words: Polemical Dimensions of Galen's Anatomical Experiments, examining how Galen's written experiments functioned as polemical tools within Greco-Roman intellectual culture. He has published articles on Galen's disease taxonomy, anatomical comparisons using exotic animals, and medical sectarian debates. Currently, he explores prehension as a taxonomical principle in ancient anatomy and Galen's use of Rufus of Ephesus' work on volition.

He serves as associate editor of APEIRON, an international journal for history of science and philosophy, and teaches courses like "Science and Medicine in Ancient Greece and Rome," examining the evolution of Greco-Roman scientific thought from the Classical period to the Scientific Revolution.

Salas' research emphasizes interdisciplinary connections between ancient medical practices and contemporary humanities, advocating for the relevance of historical medicine in modern contexts. His recent work bridges philosophical theories with anatomical practices, revealing how intellectual polemics shaped medical knowledge in antiquity.