Petter Hellström

I am a historian of science. My research explores the productive role of images – metaphors, models, diagrams, maps – in the generation and circulation of scientific knowledge, particularly in relation to notions of natural order and hierarchy.

Academic qualifications: PhD, MPhil, BA Hons

I hold a PhD degree in the History of Science and Ideas from Uppsala University, an MPhil degree in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge, and a BA degree in Arabic and the Study of Religions from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Apart from various positions at Uppsala University, I have also been employed by Södertörn University, Karolinska Institutet, and the University of Lucerne. I have been an invited guest at the universities of Cambridge and Lucerne, at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, and the Centre Alexandre-Koyré in Paris.

I defended my doctoral dissertation, “Trees of Knowledge: Science and the Shape of Genealogy”, in 2019. The examiner’s report is available online, as is the Uppsala University press release. A revised and expanded version of the dissertation is forthcoming with Zone Books in association with Princeton University Press.

Since 2022, I am the principal investigator of “Unmapping Africa: Enlightenment Geography and the Making of Blank Spaces”, funded by the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond for the Advancement of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Because a significant portion of the work is carried out in France, and in cooperation with French colleagues, I am a recurrent visiting researcher at the Centre Alexandre-Koyré for the duration of the project period.

I have a strong interest in research communication and outreach. While the majority of my interventions are only available in Swedish, two have been published by The Guardian.