Dr Sabina Leonelli

I pursue an approach to philosophy of science that is grounded on the empirical study of scientific practices, as informed by historical research and ethnographic methods used in the social and anthropological studies of science and technology. My research thus spans the fields of history and philosophy of biology, science and technology studies and general philosophy of science. I am also interested in the social and political role of science, and I currently serve as a member of the Global Young Academy.

My current work focuses on the philosophy and sociology of e-science and bioinformatics, especially the rhetorics of 'data-driven research', its relation to practices of data handling online and experimentation, and the role of digital technologies and automation in biological and biomedical research -- particularly model organism biology. My research is divided into two main strands (follow the hyperlinks for more information):

1. Philosophical Issues in Bioinformatics:

I explore the epistemological and ontological assumptions underlying the choice of taxonomies in bioinformatics (particularly bio-ontologies), and I investigate the epistemology of so-called 'data-driven' modes of research. I am also interested in how collective modes of inquiry and division of labor, as instantiated through cyberinfrastructures, affect scientific modes of understanding; and in how technologies for data dissemination and modeling affect scientificintegration.

2. The History and Epistemology of Model Organism Research:

I focus on the use of model organisms in the second half of the 20th century, with specific attention to plant biology. This case, together with my work on bioinformatics, enables me to reflect more broadly on the historical roots and new characteristics of 21st century biology, and particularly on the relation between the knowledge that is produced and the recent changes in the infrastructure and institutionalisation of research; and between basic and applied modes of research in plant science. I am writing a monograph on the history of research on Arabidopsis thaliana, tentatively titled The Virtual Plant.

Further, I am part of the EPSRC-funded project 'Evolving Controllers and Controlling Evolution', a collaborative project involving the laboratories of Dr Orkun Soyer, Dr Ozgur Akman and Prof Declan Bates (University of Exeter), and Dr Maureen O'Malley (University of Sydney).  We will be investigating epistemological issues arising from interdisciplinary research involving engineering (and particularly control theory) and evolutionary biology.

While focusing my empirical work primarily on biology, I collaborate with scholars engaged in studying other sciences, such as medicine, physics, economics and climate science. I am thus involved in several interdisciplinary networks, such as the Knowledge/Value network led by the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago, and I promote interdisciplinary, empirically based approaches to philosophy in the UK, e.g. as a co-coordinator of the Integrated Network for the History and Philosophy of Science and of the Society for the Philosophy of Science in Practice. I am also engaged in consulting with the international community of plant scientists about their policies concerning data distribution and cyberinfrastructures.

For further information about my work, see my Egenis page  http://www.genomicsnetwork.ac.uk/egenis/people/academicstaff/forename,3875,en.html .