Sharon Ruston

Professor Sharon Ruston is a leading scholar in Romantic literature and the intersections of literature, science, and medicine. She holds the Chair in Romanticism at Lancaster University and previously served as Head of the English Literature and Creative Writing Department (2019–2023). Her research focuses on 18th- and 19th-century British literature, particularly the works of Percy Bysshe Shelley and Sir Humphry Davy. She has authored influential books such as Shelley and Vitality (2005) and The Science of Life and Death in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (2021). Ruston has secured over £1.3 million in research grants, including an AHRC grant for studying Humphry Davy's notebooks. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and sits on editorial boards for literary and scientific journals. Her recent work includes co-editing the Collected Letters of Sir Humphry Davy and leading the Davy Notebooks Project, exploring interdisciplinary connections between poetry and science.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of Liverpool (1995–1999): Thesis on Shelley and the Science of Life
• M.A., English Renaissance and Romantic Literature (1994–1995)
• B.A. (Hons) in English Language and Literature (First Class, 1991–1994)

Research Interests:

Ruston’s work bridges literature with scientific and medical history, examining how Romantic-era writers engaged with contemporary scientific debates. Her projects often involve collaborative initiatives, such as the AHRC-funded LitSciMed program and the Davy Letters Project. She explores themes like vitalism, chemistry in literature, and the legacy of Frankenstein.

Grants and Awards:

• AHRC Research Grant (£1,008,000, 2021–2024): 'Humphry Davy’s Notebooks: How Poetry Helped Create Scientific Knowledge'
• Chemical Heritage Foundation Fellowship (2017)
• Winner of an Honorable Mention for the Morton N. Cohen Award (2021)

Advising and Mentoring:

Ruston has supervised four completed PhDs, including studies on Shelley’s poetry, Davy’s interdisciplinary work, and vitalism in periodicals. She has also examined PhDs at multiple institutions, focusing on topics like 18th-century maternity narratives and Romantic-era political economy.

Labs/Teams:

She leads the Davy Notebooks Project and collaborates with the LitSciMed research group, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue between literature and the sciences.