Rachel Moran

Professor Rachel Moran is a historian of health, medicine, and modern politics in a U.S. context. Dr. Moran is especially interested in ways in which political culture and institutions have shaped Americans' relationships with health and wellness, in arenas including nutrition and fitness, psychiatry, and women's health. Her first book, Governing Bodies: American Politics and the Shaping of the Modern Physique, argued that managing and molding American bodies has long been an interest of federal agencies - an interest that has required unique political maneuvering.  Her forthcoming book, Blue: A History of Postpartum Depression in America (University of Chicago Press), will be released October 2024.  Professor Moran writes and lectures extensively about modern politics, the history of medicine, the history of the body, and women's history.  A collection of her writings can be found on this website and a recent blog post can be found here.