Hsiao-wen Cheng

Hsiao-wen Cheng is an Associate Professor of Chinese History and Religions at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences, affiliated with the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. She holds core faculty status at the Alice Paul Center for Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies and is affiliated with the Department of Religious Studies. Her research focuses on gender, religion, and medical history in premodern China, particularly during the Song Dynasty (960–1276). Professor Cheng teaches courses such as "Gender, Religion, and China" and "Medicine and Healing in China," blending intellectual history with cultural analysis.

Her education includes a PhD in History from the University of Washington, Seattle, and MA and BA degrees in Chinese Language and Literature from National Taiwan University. Her scholarship examines intersections of gender, sexuality, and religious practices, with a notable focus on how medical texts and anecdotal writings shaped societal norms. She has published widely on topics like sexual anomalies in premodern China and visual culture in Song popular religion.

Cheng’s work bridges historical analysis with contemporary debates, including global flows of medical knowledge and the temporality of social norms. She actively contributes to academic discourse through peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, and editorial work, maintaining affiliations that amplify interdisciplinary dialogue on gender and cultural history.