Mark Lambert, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Behavioral Medicine, Medical Humanities and Bioethics

Additional Roles
Assistant Professor, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program

Areas of Expertise

Bioethics, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, History of Medicine, Mental Health, Native American Medicine, Religion and Spirituality, Stigma

About

Dr. Lambert’s teaching and research has crossed the traditional boundaries of bioethics, indigenous studies, the history of medicine and religious studies. Focusing on leprosy (Hansen’s disease) and its modern history in the United States, especially Hawai’i, Dr. Lambert studies the impact of stigmatizing diseases—HIV/AIDS, mental illness and neglected tropical diseases—upon already marginalized communities.

Having grown up in Kirksville, MO, Dr. Lambert is very familiar with osteopathic medicine and is eager to pursue new research on the historical development of osteopathy, especially regarding A.T. Still’s familiarity with Native American therapeutics and medical epistemology of the Shawnee.

Education:
Ph.D., Religious Studies, University of Chicago Divinity School (Theology and Bioethics concentration)
M.A., Divinity, University of Chicago Divinity School
B.A., Philosophy and Religion, Truman State University

Publications and Presentations

Beckman, O. and Lambert, M. (February 2023). “Weaving Healthy Communities: Collaboration and the Indian Health Service, a Conversation with Dr. Olivia Beckman, Chief Medical Officer, Bemidji Area of the Indian Health Service.” Panel discussion. University of Chicago, IL.
Formsma, J. and Lambert, M. (February 2023). “Urban Indigenous Healthcare: Community Solutions to Systemic Racism, a Conversation with Jocelyn Formsma, Executive Director, the National Association of Friendship Centres.” Panel discussion. University of Chicago, IL.
Abdoler, R., Lambert, M., Soderstrom, L., and Ventura, D. (October 2022). “Disability Dialogue: A Conversation about Stigma, Silence, Ableism, and Theology.” Panel discussion with Diana Ventura, Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Harvard University. Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago, IL.
Lambert, M., O’Loughlin, M., and Schulman, S. (October 2022). “All That AIDS Erased: A Conversation with Sarah Schulman and Michael O’Loughlin.” Panel discussion. University of Chicago, IL.
Lambert, M. (2022, October 7). “Making monkeypox the new leprosy repeats our past public health mistakes.” Religion News Service. Retrieved from https://religionnews.com/2022/10/07/making-monkeypox-the-new-leprosy-repeats-our-past-public-health-mistakes/.
Lambert, M. (2022, July 6). “Reckoning with Re-education: Christianity’s Role in Native American Boarding Schools.” Sightings. The Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. Retrieved from https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/articles/reckoning-re-education-christianitys-role-native-american-boarding-schools. Republished with UChicago Review. UChicago Alumni and Friends. Retrieved from https://alumniandfriends.uchicago.edu/s/uchicago-review-story/a4X8Z0000006103UAA/christianitys-role-in-native-american-boarding-schools.
Lambert, M. (2022, May 6). “The Catholic saint who dedicated his life to a leprosy colony in Hawaii—and became an inspiration for HIV/AIDS Care.” The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/the-catholic-saint-who-dedicated-his-life-to-a-leprosy-colony-in-hawaii-and-became-an-inspiration-for-hiv-aids-care-180489.
Koch, P., Lambert, M., Moslener, S., and Slominski, K. (November 2021). ”When Religion and Health Meet Sex, Race, and Science: New Books in the Field.” Panel presider at American Academy of Religion Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Lambert, M. (March 2021). “Without the Camp: Leprosy and Public Health Debates in 19^th Century America.” Guest lecture. Program on Medicine and Religion Winter Seminar Series, the Pritzker School of Medicine, the University of Chicago, IL.
Lambert, M. (2021, January 21). “Science and Religion in Times of Plague.” Sightings. The Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. Retrieved from https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/articles/science-and-religion-times-plague.
Lambert, M. (November 2019). “’A Horror of Moral Beauty’: South Seas Travel Writing, Religion, and the Perception of Leprosy.” Presentation at American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Lambert, M. (2019, October 31). “Judging Illness and Living Like Kings in Yomeddine.” Sightings. The Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. Retrieved from https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/articles/judging-illness-and-living-kings-yomeddine.
Lambert, M. (2017, September 6). “The Trump Administration, Immigration, and the Instrumentalization of Leprosy.” Religion and Culture Forum. The Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. Retrieved from http://voices.uchicago.edu/religionculture/2017/09/06/the-trump-administration-immigration-and-the-instrumentalization-of-leprosy.
Lambert, M. (2017, February 2). “The Acquittal of Patient Zero.” Sightings. The Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. Retrieved from https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/acquittal-patient-zero.

Mark Lambert, Ph.D.

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