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Dr. Howard Markel

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Dr. Howard Markel

About

Dr. Howard Markel writes a monthly column for the PBS NewsHour, highlighting momentous historical events that continue to shape modern medicine. He is the director of the Center for the History of Medicine and the George E. Wantz Distinguished Professor of the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan and the author of “The Secret of Life:  Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick and the Discovery of DNA’s Double Helix” (W.W. Norton, September ’21).

Recent Stories

Health Mar 10

What happened when the 1918 flu pandemic met WWI

In 1918, working at an overcrowded Army base hospital, let alone finding yourself in one, was a nightmare.

Science Feb 15

How Galileo’s groundbreaking works got banned

Born on this day 458 years ago, Galileo refused to be silent about how the solar system worked.

Health Jan 07

Inventor Louis Braille touched lives with literacy

Braille first encountered an early predecessor to his tactile writing system in 1821, while he was still an adolescent.

Health Dec 08

When Diego Rivera used his brush to honor groundbreaking healers

For Mexico's National Institute of Cardiology, the artist portrayed a pantheon of heart doctors.

Health Sep 24

How Irving Berlin’s blue skies turned to blue days

Irving Berlin has no place in American music; he is American music,” legendary composer Jerome Kern once wrote. Yet for his final 25 years, Berlin led a rather reclusive existence.

Health Aug 14

How the talented Oscar Levant broke taboos by talking about mental health

In today’s socially mediated 24/7 news cycle, it is difficult to imagine just how taboo the topic of prescription opiate addiction was back then, let alone how much courage it took for Levant to bring it to such national prominence.

Health Jul 10

Arthur Ashe’s other great serve? As activist for health

Ashe served as a beacon of kindness and courage for generations of African Americans, tennis players and fans, HIV/AIDS patients, nurses, health care workers, and doctors like me.

Nation Mar 31

How the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire transformed labor laws and protected workers’ health

The fire and its aftermath is a big reason American factories and offices are now far safer than they once were only a century ago.

Health Feb 27

How a medical student helped discover lifesaving insulin

Dr. Charles H. Best made his most important discovery before he turned 23.

Science Jan 23

The day Marie Curie got snubbed by the French science world

One hundred and ten years ago, Marie Sklodowska Curie was formally rejected for membership by the French Academy of Sciences.

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