Beth Linker

I am an historian of medicine and disability. I teach and research at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of the History and Sociology of Science.

My interest in medicine, disability, and the body came about long before my academic career. My unique upbringing and clinical experience as a physical therapist inform my historical research and writing.

My newest book, Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America, considers how poor posture became a dreaded pathology in the early twentieth century, resulting in a widespread anti-slouching campaign. We can still see remnants of this effort in our everyday lives today--in our work chairs, in our Pilates classes, and in the stigmatization of those who deviate from accepted anatomical norms.

I am committed to making history accessible to a wide range of audiences. I teach a variety of classes at Penn. My work has been featured in well-known media and journalism outlets.

When I am not in the archives or in the classroom, I enjoy walks and long dinner conversations with my spouse and two children in the suburbs of Philadelphia.