I am an associate professor at Bowdoin College. A scholar of eighteenth-century France, I work at the intersections of cultural history, the history of science and medicine, and the history of women and gender. You can reach me at mroberts [at] bowdoin [dot] edu or find me on Bluesky @meghankroberts

My first book, Sentimental Savants: Philosophical Families in Enlightenment France (University of Chicago Press, 2016) argued that the family was a central institution of the Enlightenment. Having a household of helpers and children who could serve as test subjects helped savants develop new knowledge. It also boosted their image: portraying themselves as loving parents and devoted parents made thinkers seem virtuous and useful.

I am currently writing a book about media and medicine through the lens of public disputes about medical matters, or what I am calling “Health Wars.” Practitioners’ efforts to persuade the public inspired new ideas and, at the same time, destabilized medical expertise .