Dr. Megann Licskai

Biography

Megann Licskai is a historian of medicine focusing on 20th-21st century reproductive politics and health activism. She received a B.A. in Contemporary Studies and History of Science from the University of King’s College, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a PhD from the History of Science and Medicine program at Yale University. After returning to Yale to teach, she spent a year as a Faculty Fellow in the Foundation Year Program, a writing-intensive curriculum that emphasizes classical texts, where she taught courses on works ranging from Gilgamesh to Audre Lorde. Megann's current book project, tentatively titled “Pro-Life Science: The Production and Circulation of Reproductive Knowledge in North American Anti-Abortion Movements, 1968-2003,” examines how anti-abortion movements have utilized scientific and medical contexts to assert authority and effect political change. In a broader scope, she is invested in the histories of reproductive health, medical ethics, the evolving landscape of American conservatism, feminist science studies, and the intricate questions surrounding life, death, and personhood. Dedicated to teaching, Megann strives to offer courses that foster students' research and argumentative abilities, prompting them to deeply consider and articulate the historical and contemporary significance of these complex issues. In addition to her research and teaching, she has worked at Yale's Medical Historical Library and has co-curated numerous exhibits centered on health justice and the history of medicine. Megann's experiences working with a small health non-profit in her hometown of London, Ontario, have profoundly shaped her understanding of medical practices and ethics.

Research Interests