Philosophy of Science + Political Theory + Social Epistemology = Political Theory of Science

I am a PhD Candidate in Philosophy at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, with a designated research specialization in Science and Technology Studies (STS). In my research, I interpret science-society relationships through the lens of political theory. In other words, I rethink questions about science’s role in society in terms of political concepts, such as accountability, authority, and democracy.

Currently, I am studying unruly forms of democratization that resist neoconservative models of expert authority in clinical research, drug approval processes, and public health. By examining particular cases of such democratization (e.g., AIDS activism in the late 1980s and early 1990s), I aim to clarify what it means to democratize science.

In parallel to my academic research, I am producing a podcast series on the politics of science with support from UBC’s Public Humanities Hub. I also receive support from the Marc Sanders Foundation, as one of the organization’s inaugural Philosophy in the Media Fellows. One of the goals of the podcast is to make research in philosophy of science and related fields more accessible to non-academic audiences.

Also, as an Educational Designer at the Centre for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) at UBC, I design workshops and other training resources to prepare students to engage ethically and effectively with communities and work towards social change. As part of this work, I collaborate with faculty members to integrate lessons from CCEL’s Social Impact Lab (SIL) into courses. I also collaborate with web developers to create a website for organizing SIL resources.