Isabel Pedersen
PhD

Background

Dr. Isabel Pedersen is Professor of Communication Studies at Ontario Tech University. She is the founding director of the Digital Life Institute, an international research network of multidisciplinary scholars studying the social implications of emergent digital technologies (digitallife.org). She studies the cultural, ethical, and political challenges posed by technological change. She is co-author of Writing Futures: Collaborative, Algorithmic, Autonomous (2021, Springer), and co-editor of Embodied Computing: Wearables, Implantables, Embeddables, Ingestibles (2020, MIT Press). She is published in academic journals including the Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, International Journal of Cultural Studies, and Parol – Quaderni d’arte e di eipistemologia. Dr. Pedersen has held several distinguished positions, including Canada Research Chair in Digital Life, Media, and Culture (2012 - 2022) and membership in The Royal Society of Canada, College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists (2014 - 2021). 

Dr. Pedersen has given invited international talks and keynotes, including the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Big Thinking on the Hill Lecture Series, introduced by Federal MP Greg Fergus on April 28, 2020. She spoke at World Science Festival in New York, IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (Keynote), Global Affairs Canada AI Symposium, IFA Summit Berlin (Keynote), Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, the International Wearables Technologies Conference in Munich (Keynote), The International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET) World Assembly (Keynote), the Canadian Association of Journalists Annual Conference (Keynote), The Walrus Talks, TEDx, Spur Festival (Calgary and Toronto), Subtle Technologies, and Mesh Toronto.