I am an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University with faculty appointments in the Center for Medicine, Health, and Society and the Department of French & Italian.The reason why I went into academics is because I have an insatiable curiosity for, well, nearly everything. I get paid to read and write. And, I also have a chance to teach some of the country's most brilliant minds. Truly, it doesn't get better than this!
My interests have always centered on the intersections between culture, history, and medicine/science. My first book was on the history of pregnancy and embryology (Pregnant Fictions: Childbirth and the Fairy Tale in Early Modern France). I have another one coming up soon, with W.W. Norton, on early medical experimentation and murder. The title: Blood Work.
I write on culture, medicine, and books for the popular press. My work has appeared in the New Scientist, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor, and others. You'll can find more information about my academic publications on my faculty webpage.
