My research interests are transnational history of medicine, particularly leprosy, and the use of historical objects in teaching and outreach. In my PhD thesis Globalizing Leprosy (2013), I examined how knowledge about the leprosy bacillus was disseminated and its impact on diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis.

I have published books on the history of urban infrastructure (2007), meteorology (with Yngve Nilsen, 2016), dentistry (with Håkon Haugland, 2016) and geophysics (with Gunnar Ellingsen and Rune Hornnes, 2018). I have also contributed to the University of Bergen’s scientific history (2022), and I am affiliated with the Pandemic Centre. My latest publication (with Kathleen Vongasthorn) analyzes how leprosy’s medieval past was made relevant, reinterpreted, and reinvented in the 19^th century.

I am the secretary general for the Bergen Society for the Adcvancement of Sciences, on the board of Bymuseet i Bergen (deputy),  in the steering committee for the Norwegian museum network for health- and medical history, on the board of the Norwegian Association for the History of Science, and was for a number of years secretary general for the Bergen Society for the Adcvancement of Sciences.

I was head the 2023 Armauer Hansen anniversary (150 years since the discovery of leprosy bacillus), and give tours at the Armauer Hansen Commemorative Room (contact me for an appointment).

I represent scientific staff at the Department council at the Department of Global Health and Primary Care, and represent scientific staff in the Programme Board for the PhD programme at the Faculty of Medicine.

I teach various courses at the Faculty of Medicine, and at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Students interested in supervision for history-related projects may contact me by mail.

See registrations in Cristin (updated annually).

Teaching portfolio: https://vollset.w.uib.no/ 

Popular scientific lecture

• Vollset, Magnus; Skålevåg, Svein Atle (2024). Medisin: Det gale og det groteske. (external link)
• Vollset, Magnus (2024). Hansen-jubileet: 150 år siden oppdagelsen av leprabasillen. (external link)

Popular scientific article

• Vollset, Magnus; Nanri, Takahiro (2024). Leprosy: Still a Major Issue. (external link)

Lecture

• Vollset, Magnus (2024). PCR-testen, krybbedødforskningen, lepraoppdagelsen og Fridtjof Nansens hjerneforskning - hvorfor fikk andre land og ikke vi lokal næring? . (external link)

Other product

• Vollset, Magnus (2023). The 2023 Hansen anniversary. (external link)
• Vollset, Magnus (2023). Det hemmelige museet / The secret museum / Le museé Secret / 秘密の博物館. (external link)

Programme participation

• Vollset, Magnus (2023). Dagsrevyen: Lepra i fremmarsj (150 år siden oppdagelsen av leprabasillen). (external link)

Interview

• Vollset, Magnus (2023). Den nysgjerrige legen som endret verden. (external link)

Interview Journal

• Vollset, Magnus (2023). Historiker med håp om en leprafri framtid. (external link)

Article in business/trade/industry journal

• Vollset, Magnus (2023). Anniversary events being organized in Bergen, Norway, 150 years after Hansen’s discovery. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

• A scientific history of the University of Bergen (2018-2021)