Alison Cool

Alison Cool is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Colorado. Her research focuses on cultural anthropology, with an emphasis on science, medicine, and technology. She explores digital technologies, data ethics, privacy, and surveillance, particularly in Sweden. Her current project examines how experts, professionals, and activists navigate ethical and practical challenges in data protection and sharing, comparing legal frameworks with real-world data practices. She also investigates the role of twins in scientific research and behavioral economics perspectives.

Dr. Cool earned her Ph.D. in 2013 from New York University. Her teaching includes courses such as 'Politics of Data and Numbers' and 'Cultures of Expertise.' Her work bridges anthropology with interdisciplinary research, addressing topics like transnational data regulation, biomedical ethics, and Scandinavian ethnography. She has authored numerous articles and chapters, including studies on biobanking, twin research, and data governance. Her research highlights discrepancies between legal ideals and practical implementations in data management, advocating for nuanced understandings of ethical relationships with data.