“A Favorite Pastime: Disease and Disinformation in the Cold War” Lecture on Wednesday, November 16

As part of the Ruth and John Moskop History of Medicine Lecture Series, the Medical History Interest Group invites you to attend “A Favorite Pastime: Disease and Disinformation in the Cold War” on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. This lecture, presented by David Durant, MLS, MA, Associate Professor/Federal Documents & Social Sciences Librarian, Academic Library Services, begins at 4:30p.m. in the Evelyn Fike Laupus Gallery, fourth floor Laupus Library. The event will also be hosted on Microsoft Teams. Attend the event virtually at this link.

The Topic:

Disinformation and political warfare were key components of the Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, and a number of the most notorious of these campaigns centered around allegations involving disease outbreaks and claims of biological warfare. From the Korean War to the emergence of AIDS, real and alleged biomedical activities were a key aspect of the Cold War propaganda duel. The legacy of such medically-oriented disinformation can still be felt in the spread of falsehoods regarding COVID-19 and alleged “bioweapons labs” in Ukraine.

The Speaker:

David Durant is Associate Professor/Federal Documents & Social Sciences Librarian at Academic Library Services, East Carolina University. He holds an A.B. in History, a Master’s in Library and Information Services from the University of Michigan, and an MA in Russian and Soviet History from the University of California, Los Angeles.

More Information:

This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

Directions and parking information.

If you’d like to travel by bus from Main Campus, take bus 302 from the Main Campus Student Center to the Allied Health Sciences Building. Click here for the 302 bus schedule.

Lectures may be video recorded.

Learn more about the MHIG lectures and view an archive of previous recordings.

Teams Meeting Information:

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