Joseph W. Lella received his PhD in sociology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He served as Chair in the Department of Humanities and Social Studies in Medicine at McGill University, Associate Professor in Sociology, King's College, University of Western Ontario, Professor in the Department of the History of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, and Academic Dean at King's College. His research interests include Medical Sociology (health care professions and organizational change in health care institutions), History of Medicine (19th century Great Britain and North America), and the life and influence of Sir William Osler.