Robert Burns and medicine:
Exploring links between physical illness, mental disorder and creativity
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
29 May 2014
The connections between the life and works of Robert Burns and the medical profession will be explored in a symposium in the College on 29 May.
There is huge interest in all aspects of Robert Burns life and work in Scotland and, indeed, internationally. This symposium brings together a prestigious line-up of speakers who will stimulate debate and identify areas for future research. Speakers include:
- Professor Sir Kenneth Calman, who has pioneered the use of creative literature in the teaching of medics
- Professor Gerard Carruthers, Co-Director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies, University of Glasgow
- Professor David Purdie, former medical academic and, with Professor Carruthers, co-editor of the recently published Burns Encyclopaedia
- Professor Jane MacNaughton, Co-Director of the Centre for Medical Humanities at Durham University and editor of a book on the relationship between mental health issues in the creative process
- Dr Daniel Smith, an academic psychiatrist leading a research programme on the cognitive epidemiology of bipolar disorder at the University of Glasgow
The audience are invited to provide a vibrant and knowledgeable contribution to the symposium’s main discussions and future dissemination of the topics discussed. These discussions will include, but are not limited to, a historico-cultural view of Burns and the medical profession, and analysis of the contemporary significance of the relationship between mental disorder and creativity informed by Burns and manic depression.
Book online HERE. Look at our website for more information.
This fascinating event will have wide appeal and interested participants are advised to register early to avoid disappointment.