Biography
I am a Senior Lecturer, with research and teaching interests in a variety of topics at the intersection of philosophy of science, applied ethics, social epistemology, and political philosophy.
My main research to date has clustered around a series of concepts which raise both ethical and epistemological challenges: certainty, communication, chance and categorisation. I am particularly interested in how these concepts are used in policy-making, and have explored case studies ranging from Lysenkoist genetics to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to contemporary alcohol policy. In my current research, I am particularly interested in debates over the early detection and prevention of cancer. For some initial thoughts on this topic, please see here
From 2015 to 2018, I co-directed with Anna Alexandrova a project on the "Limits of the Numerical" at CRASSH. I am also affiliated with the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, with Cambridge University's Public Health Strategic Research Network, and with the Early Detection Programme at the Cambridge Cancer Centre.
Publications
(In press) 'Risk, contractualism and Rose's prevention paradox' Forthcoming in Social Theory and Practice
2013 'Cancer screening, risk stratification and the ethics of apt categorisation: a case study', in Strech, D, Hirschberg, I and Marckmann, G (eds.) Ethics in Public Health and Health Policy (Springer International)
2012 'No genes, please, we're British: Essay review of John Dupré and Barry Barnes, Genomes and what to make of them', Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 43(4), 428–430
2012 'Mind the gap: Essay review of Heather Douglas, Science, Policy and the Value Free Ideal', Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 43 (1):218–220
