School of Social and Political Science

Background

Nicola Sugden is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Science, Technology, and Innovation Studies, working on the Data and the Healthcare 'Revolution' (DARE) project. Trained in the history and philosophy of science and influenced by Science and Technology Studies (STS), she has an overarching interest in the past, present, and future of science, technology, and medicine – especially as they pertain to identity, normality, moral worth, and justice.

Nicola's past work has interrogated evolution and genetics; psychoanalysis, psychology, and psychiatry; disability, inclusion, and ethics; and reproductive technologies. Her PhD thesis Winnicott's Worlds: A History of Psychoanalysis and Childhood in Britain, c.1920 - c.1975 was shortlisted for the Society for the History of Children and Youth Dissertation Prize in 2020. Before joining the University of Edinburgh, she was a Visiting Fellow at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) in Washington, D.C., where her research interests included: ableism in genetic and genomic autism research; evolutionary hierarchies of childhood, race, and disability in early anglophone psychology; and child-animal comparisons and reasoning in science. She is also interested in theories and practices of science communication and public engagement.