Academic Profile

About Rebecca Watterson

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Rebecca is a PhD researcher investigating the use of psychosurgery in the UK in the period 1940-1986. She is based in the History department in the School of Arts and Humanities at Ulster University.

She holds a BA in History from The Open University and an MA in History from Ulster University. Her MA research examined why the enzyme, cholinesterase, was a major focus of psychiatric medical research in the UK during the 1950s. For this work she was awarded ‘The Birley Prize for the best MA thesis in social history 2020’. She also holds Associate Fellowship of the HEA (AFHEA).

Rebecca is the Regional Ambassador for Northern Ireland of History Lab Plus, in collaboration with the Institute of Historical Research. She is also currently the book review editor assistant for the journal, Social History of Medicine.

Rebecca is a member of the research team for Epidemic Belfast, a medical history podcast developed by researchers from Ulster University’s School of History. This project was supported by Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland) Research Recovery funding.

Short Biography*

Rebecca Watterson, MA, BA (Hons), AFHEA

Rebecca is a PhD Researcher in History at Ulster University. Her research focuses on psychosurgery in the UK between the years 1940-1986. Her MA research examined why the enzyme, cholinesterase, was a major focus of psychiatric medical research in the UK during the 1950s. For this work, she was awarded ‘The Birley Prize for the best MA thesis in social history 2020’. She is also the book review editor assistant for the journal, Social History of Medicine, and a researcher for the podcast, Epidemic Belfast. She is also History Lab Plus’s Regional Ambassador for Northern Ireland.

Academic Profiles

Pure – Ulster University Research Portal

ORCID

Research Gate

Google Scholar

Academia

Research Interests

Psychosurgery; Medical Experimentation; Health Experiences; Shock Therapies; Oral History; Public History; Digital Humanities; Participatory Action Research; Public History

PhD Research

Rebecca is currently a PhD Researcher in History at Ulster University. She received a three year Department for the Economy (DfE) studentship for her project, beginning September 2020. This project investigates the use of psychosurgery in the United Kingdom between 1940 and 1986. More information on this project can be found here.

For further information, please see the following pages:

Academic Profile and C.V. available upon request.

For all queries, please contact Rebecca at hello@historywithrebecca.com.

*Please use this for any short biography requirements.