PRHS PhD Alumni
Studying for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or an MA by Research (MAR) at the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science equips graduates with a diverse skill set and invaluable experience. This page celebrates the inspiring journeys of some of our alumni, highlighting their contributions to academia, industry, and beyond. Explore the drop-down menus below to discover their stories and learn how their time at PRHS has shaped their paths and their impact on the world.
Applied Ethics (IDEA Centre)
2023
Zacharus Gudmunsen
Thesis Title – Artificial Moral Agency: Autonomy and Evolution
Supervisors – Rob Lawlor & Graham Bex-Preistley
Zacharus has been a lecturer in the Philosophy Department at Koç University in Istanbul since 2024.
2020
Tadhg O’Laoghaire
Thesis Title – A Political Approach to International Trade Justice
Supervisors – Carl Fox, Elizabeth Ellis & Rob Lawlor
Tadhg has been a Career Development Fellow at Durham University since 2024.
Thesis Title – Energy, Capability, and Justice: a foundation for a normative account of energy systems
Supervisors – Katy Roelich, Rob Lawlor & John Barrett
Nathan is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow and coordinator for the Fair Energy Consortium at Utrecht University. Prior to this Nathan was a Teaching Fellow at the IDEA Centre.
Thesis Title – The Problem of Dirty hands in Democracies
Supervisors – Rob Lawlor & Carl Fox
Christina is an Associate Professor of Applied Ethics for the IDEA centre and has worked as a lecturer since 2018.
2017
Tom Hancocks
Thesis Title – Transitional Justice, Punishment and Security
Supervisors – Rob Lawlor & Jamie Dow
Tom has been a Legal consultant at Deloitte since 2022, and was previously ESG Lead at Squire Patton Boggs.
2014
Thesis Title – New Fuels, New Rules? Modelling Policies for the Uptake of Low Carbon Vehicles within an Ethical Framework
Supervisors – Simon Shepherd, Rob Lawlor, Chris Megone & Paul Williams
Gillian has been a Principal Systems Thinking Analyst at the Uk Department for Transport since 2023 alongside being a visiting researcher at the Institute for Transports Studies at the University of Leeds, where Gillian has previously been a Research Fellow.
2013
Thesis Title – Just Surveillance?
Supervisors – Rob Lawlor, Chris Megone & Robin le Poidevin
Kevin has been Head of Ethics and Sustainability Consulting at Sopra Steria since 2021. Prior to this Kevin has held roles at University of Twente as an Assistant Professor and the IDEA Centre, University of Leeds as a Teaching Fellow and Consultant.
History & Philosophy of Science
2021
Nicola Williams
Thesis Title – Biological Research After The Electron Microscope: The Case of Irene Manton
Supervisors – Gregory Radick & Graeme Gooday
Nicola is a contractor within the AI sector, and recently has been working with the science industry and science communications and media organisations as science writer. Nicola is also an early career researcher working on a project, in part, funded by an early career research support grant (kindly awarded by the Royal Historical Society) and broadly encompassing the histories of cell biology, UV microscopy, and women in science.
Nicola has also worked at University of Leeds as a Postdoctoral fellow and at the University of Durham as a Module Leader.
Thesis Title – Importing the Stethoscope: The Uptake of Mediate Auscultation by British Practitioners, 1816-1850.
Supervisors – Adrian Wilson, Jon Topham & Selina Hurley
Caroline has been a Project Support Officer for Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust since 2023. Prior to this role Caroline has also held the roles of Vaccination Administrator and Project Support Officer at Mid-Yorkshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Thesis Title – A Structuralist Approach to Animalism
Supervisors– Ellen Clarke, Helen Steward & Steven French
Arthur has been teaching as an adjunct Lecturer in Philosophy at Hartwick College (New York) since 2021, Arthur has also been a semi-regular adjunct Lecturer in Philosophy at Hamilton College (also New York) since 2022.
Thesis Title – Marketing Sexual Health in Britain: Visual and Commercial Lives of Infection, 1913-1996
Supervisors – Adrian Wilson, James Stark & Richard Checketts
David has been a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of York since 2024. Prior to this David started at York as a Lecturer in Marketing in 2022 and was appointed Head of Group for the academic subject group People, Operations, and Marketing in 2023.
Thesis Title – R. A. Fisher's The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection: Origins, Publication, Reception, Legacies
Main Supervisor – Greg Radick
Alex has been a Departmental Lecturer in the History of Science, Faculty of History, University of Oxford since 2021.
Clare Coleman
Thesis Title – Plant Hybridity Before Mendelism: Diversity and Debate in British Botany, 1837-1899
Supervisors – Greg Radick & Jon Topham
Clare has been a Course Design & Development Manager for the Digital Learning Design Team, Digital Education Service at the University of Leeds since 2021.
Angeliki Lefkaditou
Thesis Title – Naturalizing the Nation: Physical Anthropology in Greece, 1880s–1950s
Supervisors – Greg Radick
Angeliki has been a Documentary film producer since 2020. Prior to this Angeliki was a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo.
2020
Gonzalo Talavera
Thesis Title – Max Isserlin and the possibilities of psychiatry in Imperial and Weimar Germany
Supervisors – Gregory Radick & Mike Finn
Gonzalo has been a Lecturer of Ethics and Philosophy at Universidad del Pacifico since 2024. Prior to this Gonzalo has held several other roles.
2019
Thesis Title – Making Anatomical Knowledge about Disease in Late Georgian Britain, from Dissection Table to the Printed Book and Beyond: Matthew Baillie’s Morbid Anatomy and Its Accompanying Engravings
Supervisors – Adrian Wilson, Jon Topham & Richard Checketts
Richard has been an Associate lecturer in Medical Humanities at the University of St Andrews since 2023, and has worked there since 2020. During this time Richard has also worked at the University of Leeds, Durham University and the University of Bristol, in either a research or teaching role.
Thesis Title – Henri Bergson’s Creative Evolution and 20th-Century British Biology
Supervisors – Gregory Radick & Laurent Loison
Emily has been working as a writer and a freelance editor. Emily’s first book, 'Herald of a Restless World. How Henri Bergson Brought Philosophy to the People', came out in October 2024 with Basic Books. Emily also held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Ghent from 2020 – 2021.
Helen Piel
Thesis Title – John Maynard Smith and the Fact(s) of Evolution. A Study of Scientific Working Life in Post-War Britain.
Supervisors – Gregory Radick and Jonathan Pledge (British Library)
Helen has been a Postdoctoral Fellow at Research Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Deutsches Museum since 2020.
2017
Thesis Title – From Biological Revolution to Biotech Age: Plant Biotechnology in British Agriculture since 1950
Main Supervisor – Gregory Radick
Additional Supervisor(s) – Tina Barsby
Matthew has been a Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental History at the University of Stavanger since 2022, and was previously a Research Associate at the Centre for Research in the Arts, within Social Science and Humanities at the University of Cambridge from 2018 – 2022.
2016
Thesis Title – Data and the Development of Research Methods in the Science of Human Emotional Expression from Darwin to Klineberg
Supervisors – Gregory Radick
Hongjin has been a associate professor at Sichuan University of Arts and Science, since 2024. Prior to this Hongjin has been a Postdoc at Tsinghua Univeristy.
2012
Thesis Title – Anthropology in Transition: A Study of the Sciences of Man at the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1866-1870
Supervisors – Gregory Radick & Jon Topham
Juan Manuel has been a Visiting Research Fellow at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico City since 2024. Prior to this Juan Manuel has been a Visiting Professor at UPAEP (Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla) and held a Postdoctoral Fellowship and been a Research Fellow at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana.
2011
Thesis Title – Industrial Illness in Cultural Context: "La Maladie de Bradford" in Local, National and Global Settings, 1878-1919
Supervisors – Gregory Radick & Adrian Wilson
James has been Professor of Medical Humanities at the University of Leeds since 2020. James has also held the role of Director of the Leeds Arts & Humanities Research Institute amongst other roles all at University of Leeds.
Thesis Title – Beyond the Armchair: Early Observational Practices and the Making of British Anthropology, 1813-1871
Supervisors – Gregory Radick, Jon Topham & Geoffrey Cantor
Efram has been Associate Professor in the History and Culture of the English-Speaking World in the Department for English, Germanic and Romance Studies at the University of Copenhagen since 2022. He has also been the Associate Director of Research for the Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies International at Durham University since 2021. Previous roles have been held at Leeds Trinity University and the Science Museum Group UK.
2010
Thesis Title – Between Commerce and Professionalism: The Changing Form, Role and Significance of the Medical Trade Catalogue in Britain, 1880-1914.
Supervisors – Graeme Gooday & Jon Topham
Claire has been a Senior lecturer in the History of Medicine since 2016. Prior to this Claire has been a Research Associate for King’s College London; Director, as well as holding roles at University of Leeds, University of Worcester and University of Warwick.
2009
Thesis Title – Communicating physics in nineteenth-century France and England: the production, distribution and use of Ganot's textbooks
Supervisors – Jon Topham & Graeme Gooday
Joesp has been a Senior lecturer in History of Science, Technology and Medicine at Universitat de València since 2025 where also Joesp holds the role of Curator of the Museum of the History of Medicine and Science. Prior to this Joesp has also held roles at Universidad del Rosario, National Academy of Education US, Université Paris Ouest and Library of Congress.
Philosophy
2024
Thesis Title – On the Nature and Relationship of Individual and Collective Justification
Supervisors – Robbie Williams, Haixin Dang, Andrew Peet, & Joshua Habgood-Coote
Simon has been a Research Fellow at Institute Vienna Circle, University of Vienna since 2024.
2023
Thesis Title – Morality and Blame
Supervisors – Gerald Lang & Pekka Väyrynen
Sam has been a Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter at University of Duisburg-Essen since 2023.
Thesis Title – Learning about attachments through literature
Supervisors – Víctor Durà-Vilà, Matthew Kieran (each for two years) & Helen Steward
Radu has been a Postdoc Researcher at Ludwig Maxmilian University since 2025, Prior to this Radu held the role of postdoctoral researcher at University of Geneva.
2021
Andreas Burns
Thesis Title – The Paradox of Deontology
Supervisors – Gerald Lang & Pekka Väyrynen
Andreas has been a Research Fellow in Ethics Section of Translational Medical Ethics, National Center for Tumor Diseases, at Heidelberg University Hospital since 2021.
Thesis Title – Grounds and Moral Laws
Supervisors – Pekka Väyrynen & Jack Woods
Alexios has been a Azrieli Postdoctoral Fellow, at Tel Aviv University, Dept. of Philosophy since 2022. Prior to this Alexios was a Society of Applied Philosophy postdoctoral fellow, at LAHRI, University of Leeds.
2020
Thesis Title – Actually Control - Demodalising Free Will
Main Supervisor – Helen Steward
Additional Supervisor(s) – Pekka Väyrynen
David has been a Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter, at Freie Universität Berlin, since 2024. Prior to this David has been a Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, as well as holding roles at Potsdam University and the Centre for Human Abilities in Berlin.
George Stamets
Thesis Title – Qualities as Truthmakers: A Quasi-Realist Account of Powers
Supervisors – Helen Steward & Léa Salje
George has been a Lecturer in Philosophy at University of Bristol since 2023. Prior to this George has been an Associate Lecturer in Philosophy, Birkbeck, University of London.
Kyle Buckle-Hodgson
Thesis Title – A Temporal Metaphysics for Affective Attitudes
Supervisors – Robin Le Poidevin & Helen Steward
Kyle has been a Systems Leadership, Learning and Development Manager at Changing Futures Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, hosted at Cambridgeshire County Council, since 2024.
Prior to this Kyle has worked as a Senior Equality and Partnership Adviser and an Energy and Low Carbon Project Officer both for Essex County Council. He has also held roles at Southend-on Sea City council and Minerva Analytics.
2019
Thesis Title – Against Moral Deference
Main Supervisor – Pekka Väyrynen
Adina has been a Teaching Associate in Foundation Arts & Philosophy, at University of Nottingham, since 2022. Prior to this Adina has been a teaching assistant at both University of Bristol and University of Warwick.
Thesis Title – The Constitution of Constitutivism
Supervisors – Pekka Väyrynen & Daniel Elstein
Olof has been a Postdoc, at University of Siena (Italy), since 2024. Prior to this Olof has also been a Postdoc at both University of Pavia and University of Vienna, a Vikarierande universitetslektor at University of Gothenburg, and a Teaching Fellow at Durham University.
2018
Emily Paul
Thesis Title – A God of Our Time?
Supervisors – Helen Steward & Mikel Burley
Emily has been a Senior Development Manager at University of Nottingham since 2024. Prior to this Emily has been at Breaking Barriers as a Senior Philanthropy Manager and as a Policy Advisor at Defra.
Thesis Title – Marriage and the Political Liberal State: An investigation into the nature of the marital relationship and the legitimacy of a political institution of marriage
Supervisors – Gerald Lang & Matthew Smith
Alison has been a Teaching Fellow at the University of Leeds since 2018.
Thesis Title – Mental causation and the metaphysics of action
Supervisors – Helen Steward
Andrea has been a self-employed teacher since 2023 and has been teaching since 2019.
2017
Thesis Title – The Diversity of Truth: A Case Study in Pluralistic Metasemantics
Supervisors – J. Robert G. Williams, Daniel Elstein & Paolo Santorio
Will has been a Teaching Fellow in Philosophy at University of Leeds, since 2022. Prior to this role Will has been a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Leeds, 2018-2022.
Thesis Title – Valuing Others: Moral responsibility and psychopathy
Supervisors – Ulrike Heuer & Helen Steward
Jim is a Professional Ethics Consultancy Team Leader for the IDEA centre at the University of Leeds.
Thesis Title – Constructivity and Predicativity: Philosophical Foundations
Supervisors – Robert Williams
Laura has been a researcher at University of Florence since 2023. Prior to this Laura has held roles at University of Oslo and University of Birmingham.
Nick Tasker
Thesis Title – Words as Intentional Artefacts
Supervisors – Robert Williams, Paolo Santorio & Gail Leckie
Nick has been a College Lecturer in Philosophy at Hertford College and Keble College, University of Oxford since 2017.
2016
Thesis Title – The Metaphysics of Divine Causation
Supervisors – Robin Le Poidevin, Helen Steward & Jason Turner
Dani has been a Skills Transformation Manager, for City of Doncaster Council, since 2023. Prior to this role Dani has held several others also at Doncaster Council.
2015
Thesis Title – Theism & the Metaphysics of Modality
Supervisors – Robin Le Poidevin & Scott Shalkowski
Sarah has been a Policy Lead (Grade 7), for NHS Public Health System UK in the Department of Health and Social Care since 2024. Prior to this role Sarah has held several Policy Advisor Roles within the Department of Health and Social Care, a Production Editor at Routledge Books, Taylor & Francis Group and an Editorial & Production Assistant at the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
2014
Thesis Title – Antirealist Essentialism
Supervisors – John Divers & Scott Shalkowski
Jonathan has been a Lecturer and senior researcher in evidence-based healthcare at the University of Oxford since 2016.
Thesis Title – The Aesthetic Expression of Moral Character: Moral Beauty in the Eighteenth Century
Supervisors – Matthew Kieran & Aaron Meskin
Since 2017 Levno has been Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter at the University of Magdeburg (Germany). Additionally, Levno has pursued various freelance activities in the arts and in philosophy since 2014.
2013
Thesis Title – Moral error theory: a cognitivist realist defence
Supervisors – Pekka Väyrynen and Andrew McGonigal
Wouter has been a University Lecturer in Moral and Political Philosophy at Universiteit Leiden since 2018. Prior to this role Wouter has been a Teaching Fellow in Bioethics at the University of Bristol and a Postdoctoral Researcher Evolution and Ethics, at the University of Utrecht.
Thesis Title – The Metaphysical Commitments of Logic
Supervisors – Robert Williams, Jason Turner & Robin Le Poidevin
Thomas has been a Lecturer in Theorectical Philosophy at University of leeds since 2023. Prior to this Thomas has held research based roles at University of Aberdeeen and University of Leeds.
2012
Thesis Title – Disagreement and semantic relativity: the case of aesthetic discourse
Supervisors – Matthew Kieran & Aaron Meskin
Carl has been Head of Social and General Statistics at the House of Commons Library (UK Parliament) since 2020, where Carl was previously a Statistical Researcher. Prior to this Carl has been a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen.
Thesis Title – Physics Without Fundamentality
Supervisors – Steven French
Kerry has been Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Science Studies Program, University of California San Diego since 2014. Prior to this Kerry has held Postdoctoral Scholar roles at University of Western Ontario and University of Calgary.
2011
Thesis Title – Second-Order Quantification and Ontological Commitment
Supervisors – John Divers, Robbie Williams & Joesph Melia
Stephan has been a Lecturer for the Department of Philosophy, University of Hamburg since 2018, where Stephan aslo held a previous role. Stephan has also been a Lecturer at University of Glasgow.
Thesis Title – Philosophical Investigations into Formalization and Compositionality of Language: a Montagovian Analysis of Arabic Quantification as a Case Study
Supervisors – John Divers
Haytham has been Assistant Professor of Philosophy, at the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology since 2017. Haytham has also held roles at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, SOAS University of London and South Valley University. He is also the founder and CEO of Logic Gym Ltd.
2009
Thesis Title – Identifying Inconsistent Scientific Theories
Supervisors – Steven French
Peter is Head of Department for the Department of Philosophy at University of Durham where he has been since 2011.
Jon Robson
Thesis Title – Ethical Implications of Temporal and Modal Metaphysics
Supervisors –
Jon has held roles at university of Nottingham since 2010.
2008
Thesis Title – The Imaginary Entities that Make Science
Supervisors – Steven French & Chris Timpson
Samuel has held the role of Associate Professor at the Centre for Science Studies, Department of Mathematics at Aarhus University since 2011. Samuel has also taught at the University of Birmingham and had research fellowships at the Universities of Stockholm and Konstanz.
Thesis Title – The Role of the Fact/Value Distinction in Modern Moral Life
Supervisors – Greg Radick, Mark Nelson & Chris Megone
Shane has held the role of Senior Lecturer of philosophy at university of Exeter since 2012. Prior to this Shane has been a lecturer in Philosophy at University of Leeds, University of Warwick and Oxford Brookes.
2007
Thesis Title – The Restricted Composition of Material Objects
Supervisors – Joesph Melia
Nikk is Professor of Philosophy at University of Birmingham where he has been since 2008, prior to this Nikk was a lecturer at University of Glasgow.
Theology & Religious Studies
2024
Thesis Title – A queer and Methodist theology of holiness: strategies for queering Wesley's teaching
Supervisors – Adriaan van Klinken, Rachel Muers and Johanna Stiebert
Mark has been a Secretary of the Faith and Order Committee, for Methodist Church in Britain since 2022, this is alongside being a Free Church Chaplain at University of Warwick, a role held since 2019.
Thesis Title – Exodus 20–23 and Utopia
Supervisors – Johanna Stiebert and Stefan Skrimshire
Katherine has been a Secondary School Teacher since 2024.
2021
Anthea Colledge
Thesis Title – Grounding theology in experience: A theological and grounded theory exploration of the narratives of people with lived experience of altered moods and Christianity
Supervisors – Tasia Scrutton and Sean McLoughlin
Anthea has been a Coordinating Chaplain, at University of the West of England, since 2023. Prior to this Anthea has held the role of Lead Chaplain to the University of Leeds, Diocese of Leeds 2018-2023.
2017
Thesis Title – Muslim mobilisation, urban informality, and the politics of development in Tanzania: an ethnography of the Kariakoo Market district
Supervisors – Adriaan van Klinken and Emma Tomalin
Benjamin has been a Junior Professor, at University of Bayreuth, since 2022. Prior to this Benjamin has been a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow, at the School of PRHS, University of Leeds.