Jackie Sullivan

Jackie Sullivan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Western Ontario, where she has been faculty since 2012, rising to Associate Professor in 2017. She holds multiple significant affiliations including as a faculty member of the Rotman Institute of Philosophy, an investigator at the Centre for Brain and Mind, and an Associate Member of the Western Institute for Neuroscience. She serves on the Governing Board of the Philosophy of Science Association and is an Associate Editor of the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science.

Dr. Sullivan earned her PhD in History and Philosophy of Science and an MS in Neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh, building on a BA in Philosophy from Clark University. Her educational background uniquely positions her at the intersection of philosophical analysis and empirical neuroscience.

Her research focuses on philosophy of neuroscience, particularly examining how neuroscience illuminates the mind-brain relationship through careful analysis of experimental practices. She investigates cognitive ontology, classification systems, natural kinds, and the role of pluralism in advancing neuroscience. Her work often addresses how conceptual frameworks shape discovery processes in translational cognitive neuroscience.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the epistemology of neuroscientific experimentation, with increasing attention to translational research, open science practices, and the philosophical implications of new neurotechnologies like touchscreens for rodent behavioral testing. Her work demonstrates a trajectory from theoretical philosophical analysis toward more engaged, collaborative work with neuroscientists.

• Graham and Gale Wright Distinguished Scholar in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (2022-2023)
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant (2020-2023)
• Rotman Institute of Philosophy Research Award (2021)
• Multiple Faculty Research Development Fund Grants

Dr. Sullivan actively supervises PhD, MA, and undergraduate students, with current advisees working on topics ranging from psychedelic research to anorexia nervosa and cognitive ontology. She has secured significant grant funding, including a major role in the $24 million New Frontiers in Research Fund Transformation Grant for the TRanslational Initiative to DE-Risk NeuroTherapeutics (TRIDENT). She is deeply involved in collaborative research initiatives including MouseTRAP and works at the intersection of philosophy, neuroscience, and open science policy.