Photography has long shaped how we see health and science – but who gets to hold the camera, and whose stories are told? From historical medical photography to contemporary biomedical imaging, this discussion brings together experts from science, visual anthropology, history and photography who are researching and rethinking how human health is represented. Join our speakers to explore the ethical evolution of medical photography, cutting-edge scientific imaging and the future of inclusive, collaborative image-making.
Speakers include:
Prof Mark Lythgoe is Founder and Director of the UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, one of the world’s leading imaging centres. Mark is a pioneer in the development of imaging technologies for diagnosis and treatment. Last year Mark was awarded the prestigious IET Achievement Medal for a major and distinguished contribution in Medical Imaging, presented at the ‘Global Engineering Oscars’. He is also Director of Biomedical Imaging Research at the Francis Crick Institute, London. Mark sat on the judging panel for the Wellcome Photography Prize 2025.
Dr Chimwemwe Phiri is a visual anthropologist whose work examines the intersection of visual culture, archival practices, and the history of medicine. She completed a PhD in medical anthropology and visual history at Durham University, where her thesis explored both historical and contemporary interpretations of colonial-era medical photographic collections related to Malawi and Sudan. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, University of Manchester.
Georgie Wileman is a photographer, filmmaker and spoken word poet based in London. Her self-portrait Self, Five Years On, 2014-2022 from her series This Is Endometriosis was a finalist in the Wellcome Photography Prize 2025. It documents the dates of Wileman’s scars from endometriosis surgeries. Endometriosis affects one in ten people born with a uterus and is often referred to as “painful periods”, a phrase that downplays the severity of a condition that causes internal bleeding and lesions that can damage internal organs. Wileman says, “Endometriosis is dangerously underfunded, under-researched and misunderstood, leaving so many isolated in their agony and fighting to be heard.” Wileman’s photograph very directly shows us the reality of living with endometriosis.
And more to be announced soon...
