Sean Coughlin

Sean Coughlin is a Junior Star Research Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institut für Klassische Philologie at Humboldt University of Berlin. He serves as Principal Investigator for the Czech Science Foundation funded project "Alchemies of Scent, Reconstructing the Practices of Ancient Greco-Egyptian Perfumery: An Experimental Approach to the History of Science," a 5-year interdisciplinary project examining ancient perfume production through historical, archaeological, and scientific methodologies.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Philosophy, University of Western Ontario (2013)
• MA in Philosophy, University of Western Ontario (2007)
• BA in Philosophy and Classics (Hons.), McGill University (2005)

Dr. Coughlin's research focuses on natural science in the ancient world, with particular expertise in ancient philosophy, medicine, zoology, botany, pharmacology, and cosmetics. His work examines conceptual frameworks used to understand life and living things in Graeco-Roman antiquity, with special attention to the concept of pneuma, vitalism, and the scala naturae. He has made significant contributions to the study of the Pneumatist school of medicine, having co-edited The Concept of Pneuma after Aristotle (2019) and published extensively on Athenaeus of Attalia and ancient theories of bodily cohesion. His work on ancient pharmacology and perfumery has been exhibited at the National Geographic Society Headquarters in Washington DC.

His scholarly output reveals a consistent focus on the intersection of philosophy and medicine in antiquity, particularly examining metaphorical frameworks, physiological theories, and methodological approaches. Recent publications show an increasing integration of experimental methods with traditional humanities research, especially in his work on ancient perfumery techniques. He has developed innovative approaches to studying ancient scientific concepts through both textual analysis and laboratory replication.

Dr. Coughlin has held numerous prestigious research positions including:

• Visiting Fellow, Institut für Klassische Philologie, Humboldt University of Berlin (2019-present)
• Researcher, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (2019-present)
• Research Fellow, Excellence Cluster Topoi, Humboldt University of Berlin (2017-2018)
• Visiting Fellow, Martin Buber Society of Fellows, Hebrew University, Jerusalem (2017)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, SFB 980, Episteme in Bewegung (2016-2017)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Excellence Cluster Topoi (2014-2016)

He currently leads the "Alchemies of Scent" project, which brings together an international, interdisciplinary team of historians, archaeologists, chemists, Egyptologists, and perfumers. This collaborative effort challenges traditional notions of ancient perfumery cultures ("Egyptian," "Mesopotamian," "Roman") and explores ancient scented workshops and landscapes through multiple methodological approaches. The project benefits from engagement with contemporary practitioners in perfumery and olfactory art, creating a unique bridge between ancient practices and modern sensory experiences.