I am an archaeologist and historian specializing in the role of medicine and health in society in the past and present. I became interested in the consumption patterns and patient preferences of medicine while working as a pharmacy technician for a retail pharmacy. I pursued this avenue of research in graduate school, focusing my dissertation on the material culture of medicine and health in Springfield, Illinois.
This has led to multiple peer-reviewed publications about reproductive access and opiate consumption in the 19th century in the context of Springfield, Illinois and the results have been published in Pharmacy and History and International Journal of Historical Archaeology. I am currently transforming my research into a narrative non-fiction book titled Evocative Elixirs, due out in 2027.
Additionally, I maintain research interests in the role of digital spaces and communities which is reflected in my publications discussing archaeology and vaccines on Tumblr and informs my work and teaching on modern perceptions of medicine and healthcare in the United States. I am currently a postdoctoral associate at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus where I work on a project modeling the impacts of climate change on infrastructure in Alaska.
Emma L. Verstraete 