We are delighted to welcome Francesca, who will work as our new Postdoctoral researcher as part of the AssemblingLife project.
Francesca is originally from Italy, but she completed most of her higher education and previous work in the UK. She obtained her PhD in Philosophy with the thesis "Biochemical kinds and the Unity of Science" at the University of Bristol (UK), as part of the ERC funded MetaScience Project (Grant agreement 771509) under the supervision of Professor Tuomas Tahko and Professor Samir Okasha (2019-2023). She also holds an MSc in Philosophy of Science from the LSE (UK) and a BA in Philosophy from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy). Before joining the AssemblingLife project, Francesca was a Teaching Fellow at the University of Birmingham, where she taught the MA modules in Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language and Epistemology and supervised UG Dissertations.
Her research is guided by questions concerning which properties are relevant for biochemical kinds identification and how they are related, with a focus on functionality at the biomolecular scale. Her PhD thesis explored the nature of biochemical kinds and biochemical functions, looking at molecular genetics and vitamins. She is interested in applying and informing metaphysical and philosophical reflection with the consideration of specific scientific case studies. As a member of the project, she will study phenomena of self-assembly for biochemical entities, with a focus on proteins’ folding and RNA replication. She will also use the tools of the metaphysics of science to characterise the relevant properties and relations for self-assembly, such as the notions of functionality and emergence.
Together with her main research, Francesca is also an organiser of the “Functions in Philosophy Network”, get in touch if you want to hear more. She also works on the metaphysics of pregnancy, in collaboration with the Department of Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Pavia (IT). Leaving aside philosophy of biochemistry and biology, she also has an interest in epistemic injustice, especially when applied to scientific research and communities.
Besides her love for philosophy, she is also passionate about literature and classical music, with a soft spot for opera. She enjoys outdoor activities and sports and she is curious about discovering new cultures and travelling. Francesca believes in the importance of building a solid feminist collaborative research across philosophy, especially for women and minorities. Feel free to drop her an email about discussing any philosophy or how to make philosophy a more inclusive field!