I am a philosopher and ethicist born and raised in the unceded territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt (Xʷsepsəm) First Nations in so-called Victoria, B.C.
I study how bodily and mental states are shaped by our beliefs, desires, and goals. I reckon the language we use can reveal new ways of understanding the origins of illness and health.
As a settler to Turtle Island, my family and ancestors are from Ayr, Scotland as well as Ireland, England, and the Gaspé region of Québec. I received my BA in philosophy and Pacific & Asian studies at the University of Victoria, and later got my MA in philosophy at the University of Toronto. I am currently a SSHRC doctoral fellow and teaching assistant in the Department of Philosophy at Dalhousie University in Mi'kma'ki (Halifax, Nova Scotia).
I also collaborate with artists, computer scientists, & dream researchers on Elsewhere, a dream journal app, the Sleep & Dream Database (SDDb), a growing archive of dream reports and survey data, and the Dream Animation Festival, an annual festival celebrating dreams in animated film.
Outside work, I practice yoga, enjoy music, and write poems.