Erica Riley

My dissertation research analyses the aftermath of the use of the drug thalidomide in the 1950s and 1960s, which resulted in thousands of children born with teratogenic congenital disabilities. The focus of my work is on the changing public perceptions of children born with thalidomide-related congenital disabilities and public trust in the medication. I show that this change was influenced by thalidomide victim activist groups led by both the parents and children affected by the drug. These started as support groups but evolved into activist groups that were instrumental in the agreement of legal settlements with government agencies and pharmaceutical companies. By using media sources published by these groups and correspondence between families and legal agencies, I track the change they made in the eyes of the public regarding their plight for reparations. I work at the intersection of the history of medical experimentation ethics, cultural history, and the history of disability advocacy to frame my research.