As an adjunct professor of geography with a multidisciplinary PHD in geography, ethics/philosophy and medicine I continue to work in three allied fields. First, issues of medical geography and the means by which epidemic and endemic diseases are understood spatially, primarily through mapping. This work has been both historical and contemporary, generating two books (Disease Maps: Epidemics on the Ground and Cartographies of Disease, New Enlarged Edition) and over 30 papers.

In addition, work continues in the area of medical ethics and bioethics with papers and two current book proposals in evaluation. The most recent book in this area was Ethics in Everyday Places: Mapping Moral Stress, Distress, and Injury. Again, over 50 papers published.

With a background in journalism as both a reporter and writer, I have since Jan. 26, 2020, done over 203 interviews with Canadian and International media on the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent interviews were in Jan. 2023.

Recent and forthcoming papers: GIS, Mapping and Health

In 2025 Ethics Press (UK) published my Seeking Medicine’s Ethical Centre: Ethics, Bioethics, and Assistance in Dying.

This new book offer a unique, anthropology of medical ethics using the author’s articles as evidentiary pieces in an ethnograph of ethics. It thus uses MAiD (medical assistance in dying) as a focus in the transformation of a bottom-up, Hippocratic ethic of care to a bottom-down, transaction Bioethics. The effect of that transition and its broad effect on clinical, social, and politics ethics is revied in the book’s discussion section. While the focus here is medical the procedure employed and the perspective presented has wider implications for those investigating ethical ideals and principles in other areas of study.

Koch, T. 2022. Disease Mapping and Innovation: A History from Wood Block Prints to Web 3.0. Patterns 3 (6). doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patter.2022.100507

Koch, T. 2021. Viral geographies: Megaregions as extra-urban disease catchment. The Canadian Geographer: 1-14. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12693

Koch, T. 2021. Welcome to the revolution: Covid-19 and the democratizationof spatial-temporal data. Patterns 2 (7): 1-10. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12693

Koch, T. and K. Denike. 2021. Why populations are not planets – gravity and the limits of disease modeling by analogy. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning 14 (3): 105-112. doi: https://doi.org/10.5897/JGRP2021.0829

Koch, T. Mapping Public Health and Disease. History of Cartography Vol. 7. University of Chicago Press.

Koch, T. John Snow’s Broad Street Map: The legend. History of Cartrography Vol. 7. University of Chicago Press.

GIS, Mapping and Health: Books using GIS

Koch, T. 2011. Disease Maps: Epidemics on the Ground. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Koch, T. 2005. Cartographies of Disease: Maps, Mapping, and Medicine. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.

Koch, T. 2003. The Wreck of the William Brown: Lifeboat Murders and Trial. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre.

Koch, T. 2001. Scarce Goods: Justice, Fairness, and Organ Transplantation. Westport and London: Praeger Books.

Koch, T. 1990. Six Islands on Two Wheels: A Cycling Guide to Hawaii. Honolulu: Bess Press.

June, 5, 2025 I was awarded a distinguishing writing award by the Academy of Professionalism in Health Care. The award was based on an article earlier published on medical professionals as resource stewards. This was the inagural award given by this organization in this category of writers submitting to their newsletter and bulletin.