Interdisciplinary Research
I am Head of Interdisciplinary Research at the Cogito Epistemology Research Centre at the University of Glasgow. In this capacity, I am responsible for facilitating (i) interdisciplinary grants between COGITO and other subject areas outwith Philosophy; (ii) organising interdisciplinary research events between COGITO and researchers in medicine and psychology. I am also steering committee member of the University of Glasgow's Centre for Neurotechnology, where I investigate ethical issues related to emerging neurotechnologies and collaborate with researchers in e.g., psychology, medicine, physics, engineering and computing science.
Philosophy, Technology & Medicine
New pharmacological drugs and technologies are increasingly changing the possibilities we have for improving ourselves cognitively, as well as emotionally and morally. Coming to grips with how to think about when and under what circumstances to avail ourselves to opportunities for pharmacological bioenhancement raises questions that require input from both philosophy and medicine. My monograph on enhancement and well-being (Routledge) draws from both of these areas in order to navigate the role medicine should (and shouldn’t) have in improving our lives. As of July 2020, I am collaborating with medical scholars on a range of supervision projects and co-authored papers. So far, I have supervised projects on cognitive enhancement and drug dependency, the role of psychedelics in moral development, the ethics of record-taking in mental health services, ADHD medication, and the ethics of post-traumatic stress disorder treatment. I am currently working on a book project that explores cognitive enhancement in connection with emerging neurotechnology. As Head of Interdisciplinary Research of the COGITO, I look forward to continuing to foster new collaborations between myself and other researchers at COGITO working on cognition and epistemic well being with medics and scientists exploring the empirical side of pharmacology. If you are interested in proposing a collaboration, please get in touch! |
Philosophy & Psychology
Outside of philosophy, I am a part-time integrative psychotherapist trained in relationship counselling, and I have 1900+ hours of experience working with couples and individuals. I also have an increasing research interest in areas in which my counselling expertise might overlap with issues in ethics, such as: the transmission of understanding through testimony in counselling, and working with gender and sexual diversity in counselling (regarding which I received an extra qualification in June 2021 to complement my research), and working ethically with those who have different spiritual beliefs. Further, as of 2022, I am now a qualified casework supervisor, offering clinical supervision to six practicing psychotherapists. In addition, I am lead Scientific Adviser on the 'Dimensions of Wellbeing' industry-funded research project at COGITO Glasgow. This project is the first of its kind to approach what is an important question in bioethics: ‘What is wellbeing’?—one that has wider implications for public policy beyond the academy—in a way that is seriously informed by work in contemporary epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of biology, and psychology. |