Béatrice Jacques, a teacher-researcher in health sociology, focuses on diverse fields including cancer, sexual and reproductive health, healthcare professionals, patients, patient-partners, and the patient experience. Her recent work explores participatory approaches and science mediation through the arts, aiming to construct research « with and for » the public.
In collaboration with Audrey L’Espérance and co-researcher patient-partners, she proposed the Innovation Chair « Participatory Health Sciences ». Over the next two years, the goal is to raise awareness about partnership approaches in health and participation in research, through seminars, workshops, and webinars.
Concurrently, Tonya Tartour, an associate professor in sociology at Sciences Po Bordeaux, is conducting an exploratory study on medicinal leeches, a little-known practice. Her work, in collaboration with historian Jean-Paul Gaudillière, has involved visits to a local breeder, research in departmental archives, and interviews with practitioners and surgeons.
From her exchanges with Anaïs Delgove, a plastic surgeon at the Bordeaux University Hospital, the interdisciplinary project HIRUMED was born. This project aims to document the current uses of hirudotherapy, how healthcare providers decide to use it, patient experiences, and the regulatory frameworks in France. Supported by the University of Bordeaux's interdisciplinary research call, the project runs until the end of 2028 and includes an exploration of uses in the United States and a documentary.
