Catherine Do Tan

Catherine Do Tan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Vassar College. She specializes in medical sociology, science and technology studies, and social movements. Her research examines how marginalized groups challenge expert authority and create alternative knowledge systems, particularly in health-related contexts.

Dr. Tan holds a PhD in Sociology from Brandeis University, an MA from Columbia University, and a BA from the University of California, San Diego. Her first book, *Spaces on the Spectrum: How Autism Movements Resist Experts and Create Knowledge* (Columbia UP, 2024), investigates autism rights and alternative biomedical movements. She also studies healers outside conventional medicine, exploring how they navigate legitimacy and expertise.

Her teaching includes courses on medical sociology and global health crises. She has published op-eds in *Newsweek*, *Time*, and *CNN* addressing vaccine misinformation and disability inclusion. Dr. Tan’s work highlights the societal impacts of health-related social movements and the ethical implications of pseudoscientific claims.