Before joining the Philosophy Department at the University of Birmingham in 2005, I was Honorary Lecturer in Bioethics in the Centre for Social Ethics and Policy at the University of Manchester and Research Associate on the EC-funded EU-RECA| (on the concept of research and the ethical regulation of research activities) coordinated by Professor John Harris. Since at Birmingham, my research and teaching has focused on the philosophy of the cognitive sciences and on a variety of issues in biomedical ethics (reproduction, death, animal rights).
In the last four years, I also visited other departments and research centres worldwide, often thanks to external funding for my research projects.
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In 2007-2008 I was involved in the activities of the PhD Programme in the Foundations of the Life Sciences and their Ethical Consequences at the European School of Molecular Medicine (Milan) as a Visiting Professor.
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From the end of July 2008 to the end of December 2008 I joined the Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science (MACCS) at Macquarie University in Australia on an Endeavour Research Fellowship. I am now a Honorary Associate of MACCS.
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In April 2009 I visited Professor John Campbell in the Philosophy Department at the University of California Berkeley.
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In July 2009 I visited the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan) as a Universitas 21 Fellow.
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In October 2010 I was invited by the University of Tokyo Centre for Philosophy (UTCP) to deliver a series of five lectures, entitled "Delusions and the Philosophy and Psychology of Belief". The series was organised by Professor Yukihiro Nobuhara.
I am the author of a textbook, "Introduction to the philosophy of science" (Polity Press, 2008), and a monograph, "Delusions and Other Irrational Beliefs" (OUP, 2009). In 2011 I was awarded the American Philosophical Association Prize for the monograph.
I edited two collection of papers, "Philosophy and Happiness" (Palgrave, 2009) and, with Matthew Broome, "Psychiatry as Cognitive Neuroscience: Philosophical Perspectives" (OUP, 2009). The latter was listed among the Guardian Books of the Year in 2009.
Right now I am writing a book on irrationality.
For most of 2011/2012 I will be on maternity leave.
In 2010/2011, I convened Philosophical Texts and Methods (level 1) and taught Philosophy of Psychology (level 3). I also convened the M-level module on the Philosophy of Cognitive Science and taught for the Research Skills and Methods for MA students and for the M-level module on the Philosophy of Health and Happiness. I supervised nine undergraduate students for the Philosophical Project module in philosophy of mind and applied ethics and one PhD student.
In 2009/2010, I convened Philosophical Texts and Methods (level 1) and led two seminars for Philosophical Texts (level 2) in term 1. I taught Philosophy of Science (level 2) and Philosophy of Psychology (level 3) in term 2. I also convened the MA/MPhil module in Philosophy of Mind (terms 1 and 2). I supervised two students for the Philosophical Project module, one MSc student and one MA student.
I was on research leave in 2008/2009.
In 2007/2008 I taught Philosophy of Psychology (Level 3) and Philosophy of Science (Level 2), both in the second semester. I also taught parts of MA and MPhil modules: Philosophical Research Methods, Philosophy of Mind, and Ethics. I supervised a number of undergraduate students on the Philosophical Projects in philosophy of mind and applied ethics; and two MA students.
My research topics include: theories of belief ascription, rationality debate in philosophy and cognitive science, rationality and self knowledge in psychopathology, delusions and confabulation, psychological realism, autonomy and personhood, demarcation between science and pseudoscience, research ethics, reproductive ethics, animal rights, death and immortality.
In 2009 I was awarded AHRC reseach leave for a project on delusions, and an Endeavour Research Fellowship (offered by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations of the Australian Government) to work with Professor Max Coltheart at Macquarie University.
From January to June 2001 I was funded by a Wellcome Trust Research Expense Grant for a project on Rationality and Sanity.
In this short video I talk about my research into clinical delusions as irrational beliefs.
Media
I was quoted on the front page of the Telegraph on a piece about forced cancer treatment for an incapacitated patient, May 2010.
I was interviewed by John Elder (Sunday Age, Melbourne) about the strive for perfection, September 2009.
I wrote a piece on the question “Should human reproductive cloning be allowed?” by BBC Focus Magazine, June 2009.
I wrote a piece for a debate on animal rights on animal rights in the New Statesman (February 2008).
I was invited to join the expert panel for animal ethics and animal cognition in ‘The Big Questions’ in October 2007 - BBC1 weekly show by Nicky Campbell debating topical religious and ethical questions.
Professional service
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Editorial Board Member for the International Journal of Wellbeing.
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Editorial Board Member for Bloomsbury Academic Books series.
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Editorial Board Member for Topoi.
Membership
I am a member of the Higher Education Academy|, the British Philosophical Association|, the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology| and the European Society for Analytic Philosophy|.
I am on the Executive Committee of the Mind Association| and on the Committee of the British Society for the Philosophy of Science|.
See www.lisabortolotti.com for more detailed information.
Books
L Bortolotti. Irrationality. Key Concepts Series, Polity Press. Under contract.
L Bortolotti (2009). Delusions and Other Irrational Beliefs|. International Perspectives in Philosophy and Psychiatry series, Oxford University Press.
M Broome and L Bortolotti (eds.) (2009). Psychiatry as Cognitive Neuroscience: Philosophical Perspectives|. International Perspectives in Philosophy and Psychiatry series, Oxford University Press.
L Bortolotti (ed.) (2009), Philosophy and Happiness|. Palgrave Macmillan.
L Bortolotti (2008). Introduction to the Philosophy of Science|. Polity Press.
Selected papers and books chapters
L Bortolotti (2011). In defence of modest doxasticism about delusions|. Neuroethics doi:10.1007/s12152-011-9122-8.
L Bortolotti and H Widdows (2011). The right not to know: the case of psychiatric disorders|. Journal of Medical Ethics doi:10.1136/jme.2010.041111.
M Broome, M Mameli and L Bortolotti (2010). Moral responsibility and mental illness: a case study. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 19(2): 179-187.
L Bortolotti (2010). Agency, life extension, and the meaning of life. The Monist 93 (1): 38-56.
L Bortolotti and R Cox (2009). 'Faultless' ignorance: strengths and limitations of epistemic definitions of confabulation (with R. Cox). Consciousness & Cognition 18 (4), 952-965.
L Bortolotti (2009). 'Delusion'. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
L Bortolotti (2009). The epistemic benefits of reason giving. Theory & Psychology 19 (5), 1-22.
L Bortolotti and Y Nagasawa (2009). Immortality without Boredom. Ratio XXII (3), 261-277.
L Bortolotti and M Broome (2009). A role for ownership and authorship in the analysis of thought insertion. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences 8 (2), 205-224.
L Bortolotti and D Cutas (2009). Reproductive and parental autonomy: an argument for compulsory parental education. Reproductive Biomedicine Online 19 (1st July)- ethics supplement, 5-14.
L Bortolotti and M Broome (2008). Delusional beliefs and reason giving. Philosophical Psychology, 21 (6), 801-821.
L Bortolotti and B Heinrichs (2008). Delimiting the concept of research: an ethical perspective. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, 28(3), 157-179.
L Bortolotti and M Mameli (2006). Deception in psychology: moral costs and benefits of unsought self-knowledge. Accountability in Research, 13(3), 259-275.
L Bortolotti (2006). Moral rights and human culture. Ethical Perspectives, 13(4), 603-622.
M Mameli and L Bortolotti (2006). Animal rights, animal minds and human mindreading. Journal of Medical Ethics, 32, 84-89.
L Bortolotti (2005). Intentionality without rationality. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, CV(3), 385-392.
L Bortolotti (2005). Delusions and the background of rationality. Mind & Language, 20(2), 189-208.
L Bortolotti and J Harris (2005). Stem cell research, personhood and sentience. Reproductive Biomedicine Online, 10 (1), 68-75.
Selection of recent talks
"Is it bad to construct false narratives about ourselves?", Undergraduate Philosophy Society, University of Birmingham, November 2010.
"Delusions and the Philosophy and Psychology of Belief". Series of five lectures at the University of Tokyo Centre for Philosophy, October 2010.
"Narratives and delusions", Mental Health Awareness Week, Nottingham Cafe Sci Group, October 2010.
"Delusions and Double Bookkeeping", Philosophy Research Seminar, University of Nottingham, September 2010.
"Is the choice not to know compatible with the exercise of personal autonomy?" Festival della Salute, Lido di Camaiore, September 2010.
"Moods and mood disorders" (with Iain Law). Emotions and Feelings in Psychiatric Illness Workshop, supported by an AHRC Network Grant and by the Durham Institute of Advanced Study, University of Durham, September 2010.
"Explaining double-bookkeeping in delusions" (with MR Broome). Joint Session of Aristotelian Society and Mind Association, Dublin, July 2010.
"Constructing and governing the self: the case of delusions" at the Development, the Self and Early Psychosis Symposium, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Edinburgh, June 2010.
"With power comes vulnerability" (with Constantine Sandis and Alessandro Blasimme). 'Humans and Other Animals: Challenging the Boundaries of Humanity' conference, London, June 2010.