Alexandra D. Jewell

Philosopher of Mind, Cognitive Science, Phenomenology, and Psychiatry

I am a Limited Term Lecturer in the Department of Cognitive Science at Simon Fraser University, and a Sessional Lecturer in the Departments of Philosophy and Cognitive Systems at the University of British Columbia.

I received my Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of British Columbia in 2025. My dissertation, "A New Framework for Self-Disorders: Anxiety as a Case Study", develops a phenomenologically-informed account of anxiety disorders (as well as other psychiatric disorders) as disruptions in the basic structures through which we experience ourselves as embodied agents situated in a meaningful world. You can download my dissertation from PhilPapers (https://philpapers.org/rec/JEWANF).

Integrating insights from philosophy of mind, phenomenological pathology, cognitive science, and psychiatry, my research focuses on the nature of self-experience, agency, world-experience, feelings of reality, and the underlying processes implicated in these phenomena. For more information on my work and current projects, see my Research page.

I am also passionate about teaching and pedagogy. My teaching spans philosophy of mind, consciousness, AI, interdisciplinary research methodology, and the philosophical foundations of cognitive science. For three years, I worked with UBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology as a facilitator, helping train graduate student teachers and supporting evidence-based and student-centered approaches to teaching and learning. In addition, I was the Graduate TA Co-ordinator for the philosophy department at UBC, offering workshops and scheduling training for the Philosophy Teaching Assistants. Please see my Teaching page for more details.

Alongside my academic work, I am an APPA-Certified Philosophical Counsellor. I am currently developing a philosophical approach to living grounded in my research on self-experience, affect, agency, and our experience of the world. 

Although not an explicit part of my philosophical work, my experiences with the Tibetan diaspora and Tibetan Buddhist traditions greatly influence my worldview and motivate much of the research I do. To learn more about this background, see my About page.