Indiana Medical History Museum

05/27/2026

How a remarkable trial on bedrest during the Korean war helped lead to evidence‑based medicine

How a bedbound patient and a 73-page study changed the way doctors make decisions.

05/20/2026

Kylie's final Meet the Collections post is now up. We are sad to say goodbye to our IU Indianapolis Museum Studies graduate intern Kylie Barkley, but we are so proud of her accomplishments and excited for her next adventure.
Object: WWI Uniform Kathryn Tuttle Hill

NEW Feature! Check back here for periodic updates. We will feature cool items from the IMHM Collections and post updates about related projects. 

05/16/2026

Don't wait to sign up for Sunday's talk! You can join us in person or virtually. For more information, email Danielle at [email protected]. Registration link is in the comments.

05/14/2026

"A 59,000-year-old tooth reshapes what we know about Neanderthal dentistry."

Neanderthals used rock drills to treat an infected tooth, according to a study that pushes back the earliest known evidence of dentistry by more than 40,000 years.

05/12/2026

We look forward to meeting more of our neighbors this afternoon at IMPD Southwest's Central Greens Community Walk! See you at 2pm!

One last reminder before tomorrow! ☀️🚶🏽‍♂️🚶🏻‍♀️

Come join us for the Central Greens Community Walk tomorrow at 2:00 PM as we connect with neighbors, build relationships, and continue strengthening our Near West community alongside Commander Pilkington, Captain Gosnell, Southwest personnel, and community partners.

The forecast is looking great, and we would love to see you there!

05/11/2026

One last reminder before tomorrow! ☀️🚶🏽‍♂️🚶🏻‍♀️

Come join us for the Central Greens Community Walk tomorrow at 2:00 PM as we connect with neighbors, build relationships, and continue strengthening our Near West community alongside Commander Pilkington, Captain Gosnell, Southwest personnel, and community partners.

The forecast is looking great, and we would love to see you there!

05/05/2026

Save your spot today at the 2026 Lande Family Lecture. Nelson Price will be talking about his book The Quiet Hero: A Life of Ryan White on Sunday, MAay 17th. In person and virtual tickets are available!

2026 Annual Lande Family Lecture "Ryan White, the teenage crusader with AIDS, as told by a journalist-author who covered his story" presented by Nelson Price

Sunday, May 17th at 2pm (Eastern)
Virtual and In-Person

Doors Open at 1:15pm
Program begins at 2pm and will be followed by a brief book-signing.

Cost: $5 for NonMembers; FREE for Current IMHM Members*
In the mid-1980s, Ryan White from Kokomo, IN, drew international attention with his crusade to attend school in nearby Russiaville after having been diagnosed with AIDS at age 13. Amid widespread panic and hostility, Ryan persevered. In the process, he became the face of young people with the terrifying, misunderstood disorder. As a journalist for Indianapolis newspapers, Nelson Price covered Ryan’s crusade from the beginning, and continued to report on aspects of the story after Ryan’s death in 1990. Eventually Mr. Price wrote the award-winning biography The Quiet Hero: A Life of Ryan White. Copies of the book will be available for purchase onsite.

The Annual Lande Family Lecture is named in honor of Dr. R. Gregory Lande, his wife Brenda, and their son Galen.

Registration required for in-person and virtual attendees. In-person guests can pre-order a copy of the book with their registration.

Link for registration in the comments.

05/01/2026

It's ! Today, we’re highlighting Mildred Trotter, a pioneering forensic anthropologist known for her significant contributions to identifying skeletal remains.

In 1948, Trotter worked with the U.S. Army’s Graves Registration Service at the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii. There, she identified the remains of U.S. service members. Her laboratory identified 94% of the remains analyzed. While in Hawaii, she noticed a lack of data to predict height and age, prompting her to collect her own measurements and build a substantial database.

In 1952, Trotter worked with Goldine C. Gleser to develop a statistical regression formula for calculating an estimate of stature from human long bones. Their work, based on the skeletal remains of known war dead, resulted in a new formula for height identification that remains in use today.

Picture courtesy of Washington University.

05/01/2026

Looking for something to do this Saturday? We have plenty of spots left for tours of the Indiana Medical History Museum! Visit our website at www.imhm.org to reserve your spot!

If you are planning to visit us, please be aware that the 500 Festival Mini Marathon may cause disruptions to your normal route, especially on 10th St and 16th St. as well as downtown, so please give yourself ample time to arrive for your tour! The route is below.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can call us at 317-635-7329.