Francesca Bellazzi, Ph. D.

I am a Teaching Fellow at the University of Birmingham (UK), where I teach the MA modules in Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language and Epistemology. My main research explores the philosophy of biochemistry and the interface between chemistry and biology.

I am also an Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Science & Technology at UCL (London), where I am working with Professor Emma Tobin on biochemical classification and functionality in the light of new technologies.

I got my PhD in Philosophy with the thesis "Biochemical kinds and the Unity of Science" at the University of Bristol, as part of the ERC funded MetaScience Project (Grant agreement 771509) under the supervision of Professor Tuomas Tahko and Professor Samir Okasha.

My research is guided by questions concerning which properties are relevant for biochemical kinds identification and how they are related. Specifically, my thesis explored the nature of biochemical kinds and biochemical functions, with a focus on molecular genetics. I am interested in applying and informing metaphysical and philosophical reflection with the consideration of specific scientific case studies, and I have a passion for molecular genetics, proteins and vitamins. Moreover, I like to interact directly with scientists, and I have been building interdisciplinary connections across the world.

Together with my interest for the philosophy of biochemistry, I love to collaborate with colleagues working on the ethical and political aspects of science, in particular focusing on virtue ethics and epistemic justice and injustice in scientific practice.

During the past years, I have always complemented my research with teaching. Guiding students in their philosophical reasoning and building constructive conversations and exchanges is for me a constant source of personal and professional growth.

What do I do?

Together with enjoying philosophical research, I am also passionate about teaching philosophy, writing generalist articles and organising events and conferences.

    • Philosophy and metaphysics of biochemistry and molecular biology

    • Natural kinds

    • Emergence and intra-level relations

    • Philosophy of pregnancy

    • Perspectival realism and situated scientific knowledge

    • Epistemic injustice and its application to concrete issues, such human rights and science, scientific research and other rights (e.g. silence)

    • Virtue ethics and its application to science informed decisions

  • I am Associate Fellow of Advance HE. I have been designing and lecturing MA modules, and UG courses and seminars, providing formative and summative assessment, doing personal tutoring and supervising UG dissertation.

    University of Bristol:

    • Introduction to Philosophy A (seminar leader; Descartes, Hume and introduction to metaphysics and epistemology)

    • Knowledge and Reality (seminar leader; elements of epistemology and metaphysics)

    • Realism and Normativity (seminar leader; metaphysics and meta-ethics)

    • Death, dying and disease (seminar leader; philosophy of medicine)

    • Selected lectures in philosophy of science and metaphysics of pregnancy

    University of Birmingham:

    • Philosophy of language MA (introduction to philosophy of language and feminist philosophy of language)

    • Metaphysics MA (introduction to metaphysics and metaphysics of science)

    • Epistemology MA and MA DL (introduction to epistemology and feminist and social epistemology)

    • UG dissertation supervision: metaphysics and applied metaphysics, virtue ethics and feminist philosophy

  • Together with specialised articles, I also enjoy writing articles for non-academic audiences. I am a writer for Jargonium and Chemistry world.

  • I have been the Project Coordinator for MetaScience for which I provided technical, administrative, communications, research, and logistical support, especially with regard to the project’s events, publications, publicity, and website.

Academic visitings and collaborations

2023 (Dec) Visiting researcher at the CEFISES, Center for Philosophy and Society with project “Multiple realisability in (bio)chemistry” with Dr Pieter Thyssen

2022 (Apr-Jun) Visiting researcher at Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto (Canada). Sponsor: Professor Jessica Wilson.

2021 (Jan-Feb) Visiting researcher at Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Biology and Biotechnology Lazzaro Spallanzani, University of Pavia (Italy). Sponsor: Professor Maurizio Zuccotti (Head of Lab)

2018 (Oct-Dec) Visiting researcher at Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford (United Kingdom). Sponsor: Professor Anna Marmodoro.

Awards & Prizes

2023 Prize Nomination for Outstanding Excellence in Doctoral Dissertation for “Biochemical kinds and the Unity of Science”, University of Bristol (UK)

2023 ISHPSSB 2023 Conference Merit Travel Fund ($499)

2023 Nominated for “Inspiring and Innovative Bristol Teaching Award”, University of Bristol (UK)

2023 PGR Development Fund (£250) for “Philosophy and Science for Human Rights: The Political Brain” with S. Picenni.

2022 mid-term SIFA Young-Scholar Award (€125) for “Alethic rights and epistemic (in)-justice” with S. Picenni.

2021 Nominated for “Inspiring and Innovative Bristol Teaching Award”, University of Bristol (UK)

2019-2023 Full PhD Fellowship in the ERC Consolidator Project “MetaScience: The Metaphysical Unity of Science” (Grant ID: 771509).

2015 Award for Excellence “100 Scholarship + 100 Awards” (€1000), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore as one of the 100 best students of the university.

2014 Scholarship for Excellence “Instituto Toniolo” (€2000), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

Biochemical Kinds and The Unity of Science

PhD Thesis

Nominated for “Outstanding Excellence in Doctoral Dissertation”, University of Bristol

Abstract

The present thesis explores some metaphysical issues concerning biochemical kinds and the relations between chemical and biological properties and phenomena. The main result of this thesis is that there is something sui generis about biochemical kinds. This result is motivated by two theoretical steps. The first is characterising biochemical functions as weakly emergent from the chemical structure [Chapter 3, Chapter 6]. The second is via an account for which biochemical kinds are natural categories [Chapter 4, Chapter 7].
The thesis comprises four parts. Part I [Chapter 1, Chapter 2] aims to offer the methodological and conceptual tools that underpin this research. Chapter 1 presents the debate on the unity of science and the motivation of the research. Chapter 2 presents the account of natural kinds that will be used throughout the thesis. Part II [Chapter 3, Chapter 4] offers a detailed metaphysical analysis of the molecular gene. Chapter 3 argues that molecular genes are weakly emergent from nucleic acids. Chapter 4 argues that the category "molecular gene" can be deemed a natural kind, following the account presented in Chapter 2. Part III [Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7] explores some of the themes related to biochemical kinds and generalises some of the results from Part II. Chapter 5 considers biochemical functions and how functional attribution should be interpreted for biochemical molecules. Chapter 6 considers the relation between biochemical functions and structure, spelt in terms of weak emergence and explores unity in biochemistry. Chapter 7 considers the topic of biochemical kinds per se and argues that biochemical kinds are natural categories. Part IV [Chapter 8] elucidates the main outcome and the implications that this research can have for future discussion in the philosophy and metaphysics of biochemistry and the unity of science.