معرفی
Sandra Cavallo is Professor of Early Modern History at Royal Holloway, University of London, and co-director of the Centre for the Study of the Body and Material Culture. She maintains an active affiliation with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science for her research on vernacular medical texts and domestic health culture.
Education
- PhD from University College London (UCL) with thesis on charity and medical poor-relief in early modern Italy
Research Interests
Professor Cavallo pioneers interdisciplinary research at the intersection of medical history and domestic life, examining how preventive health practices shaped early modern European homes. Her work uniquely bridges material culture studies, gender analysis, and architectural history through projects like the microhistory of Roman Baroque palaces. She investigates how vernacular medical knowledge permeated household routines and spatial design, revealing the domestic sphere as a critical site of medical innovation.
Scientific Awards and Grants
- Wellcome Award in the History of Medicine (1991-1995)
- Fellowship at École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Paris
- Fellowship at European University Institute (EUI), Florence
- Wellcome Trust Project Grant: 'Healthy Homes Healthy Bodies' (2009-2012)
Professional Leadership
As Associate Director of the AHRC Centre for the Study of the Domestic Interior, she shaped national research agendas on household history. She co-curated the Victoria & Albert Museum exhibition 'At Home in Renaissance Italy' (2006-2007) and serves on editorial boards for Genesis and Social History of Medicine, influencing scholarly discourse through critical peer review and thematic curation.
Research Infrastructure
She co-directs Royal Holloway's Centre for the Study of the Body and Material Culture, fostering collaborative research across history, anthropology, and design studies. This interdisciplinary hub connects scholars examining embodied practices and material environments from antiquity to modernity.
