‘Building the atomic clinic’: nuclear research in medicine after the Second World War – an introduction
- 1Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- 2Department of Research Library and Reflection on Science, National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Halle (Saale), Germany
- 3Chair of Science, Technology, and Gender Studies, Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany
Abstract
This introduction to the special issue re-examines the emergence of nuclear medicine within a global and transdisciplinary framework. Moving beyond canonical narratives centred on technical breakthroughs and early U.S. developments, it highlights the field’s development through three analytical lenses: science diplomacy, transdisciplinarity, and socio-political impact. We argue that nuclear medicine took shape not only through innovations in physics and clinical practice, but also through international cooperation, geopolitical agendas, and the negotiation of public expectations. By tracing the circulation of knowledge, radioisotopes, and infrastructure across diverse regional contexts – from Sweden and Taiwan to India and Belgium – it sets the stage for a rethinking of nuclear medicine as a product of intersecting scientific, political, and societal forces during the Cold War and beyond.
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BibTeX
@article{mattes2026building,
title = {{‘Building the atomic clinic’: nuclear research in medicine after the Second World War – an introduction}},
author = {Johannes Mattes and Cécile Philippe and Maria Rentetzi},
journal = {Medical History},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1017/mdh.2026.10086},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/mdh.2026.10086},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - ‘Building the atomic clinic’: nuclear research in medicine after the Second World War – an introduction
AU - Johannes Mattes
AU - Cécile Philippe
AU - Maria Rentetzi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Medical History
DO - 10.1017/mdh.2026.10086
UR - https://doi.org/10.1017/mdh.2026.10086
AB - This introduction to the special issue re-examines the emergence of nuclear medicine within a global and transdisciplinary framework. Moving beyond canonical narratives centred on technical breakthroughs and early U.S. developments, it highlights the field’s development through three analytical lenses: science diplomacy, transdisciplinarity, and socio-political impact. We argue that nuclear medicine took shape not only through innovations in physics and clinical practice, but also through international cooperation, geopolitical agendas, and the negotiation of public expectations. By tracing the circulation of knowledge, radioisotopes, and infrastructure across diverse regional contexts – from Sweden and Taiwan to India and Belgium – it sets the stage for a rethinking of nuclear medicine as a product of intersecting scientific, political, and societal forces during the Cold War and beyond.
SN - 0025-7273
SN - 2048-8343
ER -