Omar Dewachi | Episodes of War Biology East of the Mediterranean

Drawing on two decades of research, this talk examines the intersection of war and medicine in the Middle East, highlighting pivotal moments that mark the rise of antimicrobial resistance and war-related injuries. It delves into the complex nexus of militarism, ecology, and human health, proposing "war biology" as a framework for understanding the implications of conflict on life, and as a portal to discussing the consequent vulnerability of global and planetary health.

About the Speaker

Dr. Omar Dewachi is a healthcare practitioner and anthropologist based at Rutgers University. His work examines the social, medical, and environmental consequences of war in Iraq and the broader Middle East. He is the author of Ungovernable Life: Mandatory Medicine and Statecraft in Iraq, which documents the untold history of the rise and fall of Iraqi medicine during the 20th century. His forthcoming book, When Wounds Travel, chronicles the past decades of war injury and displacement in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
 

The Medical Humanities Research Workshop is sponsored by the Stanford Humanities Center. The series is made possible by support from Linda Randall Meier, the Mellon Foundation, & the National Endowment for the Humanities. Please register in advance to receive a link to this hybrid event. Please email Bilal Nadeem (bnadeem@stanford.edu) with any questions.