Maaike van der Lugt

Maaike van der Lugt is a distinguished University Professor of Medieval History at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, where she serves as Director of the Heritage and Cultural Dynamics Laboratory (DYPAC) and Deputy Director of the Institute of Cultural and International Studies (IECI). Her academic career spans from doctoral work at both the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris and the University of Utrecht, to becoming a lecturer at Paris Diderot University in 1999, followed by her professorship at Versailles Saint-Quentin since 2017. She was also a junior member of the prestigious Institut universitaire de France from 2007 to 2013.

Her educational background includes a doctorate completed jointly at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris) and the University of Utrecht (Netherlands), followed by a postdoctoral contract before her academic appointment in Paris. This strong foundation across French and Dutch academic traditions has informed her interdisciplinary approach to medieval studies.

Professor van der Lugt's research focuses on the history of knowledge, particularly medicine and the life sciences from the 12th to the 15th century. She combines textual analysis of works produced in urban schools and universities with examination of less technical sources, practical documents, and images. Her work explores the material and social dimensions of knowledge construction, circulation, and dissemination, with particular attention to access to knowledge and the relationship between bookish knowledge, practical know-how, and experience—especially women's experience. She actively engages with specialists in epistemology, philosophy, and the history of science in a comparative perspective that extends to contemporary issues.

Her extensive publication record reveals consistent themes in medieval medical theory, particularly concerning concepts of complexion, heredity, fetal development, and the relationship between nature, medicine, and ethics. Her work demonstrates a sophisticated interdisciplinary approach that bridges historical, philosophical, and scientific perspectives on medieval thought. The publications show a clear progression from foundational work on extraordinary generation to increasingly nuanced explorations of how medieval thinkers conceptualized biological processes within moral, legal, and theological frameworks.

• Erasmus Prize (Netherlands)

Professor van der Lugt has supervised numerous research projects, including pioneering work on medieval heredity concepts and the normative implications of nature in medieval thought. Her leadership of the DYPAC laboratory demonstrates her commitment to interdisciplinary research that connects historical scholarship with contemporary cultural dynamics. She has developed significant collaborative networks across Europe, evidenced by her co-authored works with international scholars in the history of science and medicine.

As Director of the DYPAC Laboratory, Professor van der Lugt leads research on heritage and cultural dynamics, creating an intellectual environment that bridges historical scholarship with contemporary cultural analysis. Her work in this capacity connects medieval studies with broader questions about cultural transmission and the evolution of knowledge systems across centuries.