Mariam Humayun

Mariam Humayun is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, with affiliations to the University of Ottawa Cyber Hub and the Institute for Science, Society and Policy. Her research focuses on the intersection of consumer culture, technology, and digital ecosystems, particularly in cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and post-digital consumption.

She holds a B.B.A. from the University of Karachi, M.Sc. from Durham University, and Ph.D. from York University’s Schulich School of Business. Her doctoral work examined Bitcoin’s evolution as a decentralized brand through ethnographic fieldwork across global hubs like San Francisco, Berlin, and Tokyo.

Her research interests include consumer privacy, digital detoxing, and the mythologies surrounding open-source technologies. She employs qualitative methods like ethnography and netnography, contributing to consumer culture theory. Recent work explores decentralized identities in the metaverse and ideological dynamics in crypto communities.

Dr. Humayun has been awarded the Seymour Schulich Teaching Excellence Award and secures grants from SSHRC, including a $144,774 project on cryptocurrency consumer journeys and a $61,468 study on digital detoxing. Her work appears in journals like Cryptoeconomic Systems and Journal of Business Research, with frequent media commentary in CBC News and Global News.

Her funded research explores consumer behavior in crypto ecosystems and digital privacy, addressing topics like NFT ownership, metaverse economics, and algorithmic resistance. She actively participates in blockchain conferences and academic forums, bridging theoretical insights with real-world digital transformation.