Francesca Bellazzi

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Francesca recently completed a PhD in Philosophy with the thesis "Biochemical kinds and the Unity of Science" and now is the project coordinator of MetaScience. Her research is on the philosophy of biochemistry and the interface between chemistry and biology. She is guided by questions concerning which properties are relevant for biochemical kinds identification and how they are related. Specifically, her thesis explored the nature of biochemical kinds and biochemical functions, with a focus on molecular genetics. She did so through the consideration of scientific case studies, such as individual genes and vitamin B12, and their integration with philosophical argumentation. Moreover, she works directly with scientists, having interdisciplinary connections across the world.

Together with publications in world-class journals, she also wrote several articles for non-academic audiences and gave invited and contributions talks. Across these works, she argues that biochemical kinds uniquely combine structural, functional and evolutionary properties.  

Together with her interest for the philosophy of biochemistry, Francesca has several side projects that consider the ethical aspects of science, in particular focusing on virtue ethics and the debate on epistemic injustice.