Bioethics, Philosophy of Neuroscience, Consciousness
Andrew Peterson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at George Mason University. He is also an Affiliate Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania Memory Center. Previously, he was a Greenwall Faculty Scholar (2018-2021), and a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar in the Rotman Institute of Philosophy and The Brain and Mind Institute at the University of Western Ontario, Canada (2013-2016). He is a recipient of the 2021 Rising Star Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
Dr. Peterson’s research centers on bioethics and the philosophy of neuroscience, with specialization in ethical issues related to neurology and human consciousness. His work has been funded by The National Institute on Aging, the Greenwall Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholars program, and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
GRANTS
Philosophy of Disability (Graduate/Undergraduate)
The Science of Consciousness (Graduate)
The Ethics of Neuroimaging After Severe Brain Injury (Graduate)
Bioethics (Undergraduate)
Minds, Brains, and Machines (Undergraduate)
PhD Philosophy, 2016, University of Western Ontario
MA Philosophy, 2011, San Francisco State University
Media Essays
Times-Dispatch Richmond. George Mason University if right to require Covid-19 vaccinations. 2021
USA Today. Alzheimer’s patients are desperate for treatment. But the FDA can’t throw out its standards. 2021
Bioethics.net. Covid-19 proved Americans with disabilities need Biden’s infrastructure plan. Lawmakers must not negotiate it away. 2021
Washington Post. End the coronavirus lockdown in the D.C. jail.
STAT News. A monument to our monumental suffering can help America heal from this pandemic. 2021
The Hill. COVID-19 vaccines are worthless if people aren't vaccinated. 2020
CNN Opinion. How to decide who gets the Covid-19 vaccine first. 2020
NBC News. Rising Covid cases means Americans may face health care rationing. Here's how they view that. 2020
The Hill. Older adults deserve to vote too — here's the support they need. 2020
Selected Interviews and Media Commentaries
National Public Radio (WAMU), With Good Reason. Gray areas. 2022.
Washington Post. When should vaccinated travelers wear masks outdoors? 2021.
National Post Canada. Alive inside: How do we reach 'vegetative' patients when tests show they're aware of everything? 2019
Vice Magazine. Scientists want to try using shrooms to revive people in vegetative states. 2019
Dana Foundation. Psychedelic treatment for consciousness disorders? 2019
CBC Radio, Ideas From the Trenches. The open mind. 2016
The New Scientist. Portable mind reader gives voice to locked-in people. 2015