I am a philosopher of science whose current research programme is concerned with how uses of socially-salient concepts (like race and gender) in empirical research have had downstream effects upon medical interventions, biological classification, the social sciences (writ large), and public policy. My philosophical work is historically informed and empirically oriented, and is deeply committed to utilising examples and cases that span history and geopolitical contexts.
I have recently joined Cambridge HPS as a Teaching Associate in Philosophy of Science after holding a Fellowship in the Department of Philosophy, Logic, and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where I was a Faculty Mentor for the local chapter of Minorities and Philosophy. Prior to my fellowship, I held a post at Birkbeck College (University of London), and I earned my PhD from the University of California, Davis. I am also an Associate at the Centre for Philosophy of Epidemiology, Medicine, and Public Health (a joint venture between Durham University and the University of Johannesburg), and a Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg. Prior to my PhD, I earned my BA in Sociology with a Minor in Philosophy at UC Berkeley, my MA in Philosophy with a Graduate Minor in Economics at Texas Tech, and my MSc in Philosophy of the Social Sciences at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
I aim to help others see the importance of connecting philosophical thinking about the sciences to their historical, social, and political contexts. I have greatly enjoyed my mentoring role as an academic, and I am committed to a diverse academic community. I have participated in outreach and widening participation schemes across the entirety of my academic career, including public engagement at secondary schools in the UK, and am looking forward to continuing this work during my time at Cambridge HPS.
Research interests
General philosophy of science (including natural kinds), philosophy of biology (biological populations, biological individuals), philosophy of the social sciences (including sociology, demography, general methodological questions, measurement of socially-salient categories, epistemology of social-scientific instruments), race and gender in science (especially biology, biomedicine, public health, epidemiology, artificial intelligence, and the social sciences), values in science, political philosophy as connected to history and philosophy of science.
Selected publications
'Values, Race, and the Social Sciences'. in The Routledge Handbook of Values in Science. Forthcoming
'Race in Medicine'. in The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Medicine. Forthcoming
'Racial Group Ontology and Political Representation'. in Issues in Political Theory (5th Edition). Oxford University Press. Forthcoming
'Indiciduals, Populations, and Biological Race'. Biology and Philosophy. 2024
'Race and Racism in Public Health'. in The Routledge Handbook of The Philosophy of Public Health. 2022
'Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing's Red Herring: "Genetic Ancestry" and Personalised Medicine'. (with M. Blell). Frontiers in Medicine. 2019
'The Diversity and Inclusivity Survey: Final Report'. (with C.D. Jennings, R. Fronda, Z.A. Johnson-King, A.C. Spivey, & S. Wilson). American Philosophical Association Technical Report. 2019
Public Engagement
I have extensive public speaking experience for a number of different audiences (undergraduates, the general public, students in schools). My talks fall under one of three general classes: widening participation, introducing students to my research, and my academic journey (details of one of my more recent talks is found here) If you are interested in having me give a talk for your group, undergraduate society, or school, please do get in touch!
