Jessica Lauman-Lairson
Jessica Lauman-Lairson
Postdoctoral researcher
Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Social Sciences
Franziskanergasse 1, 5020 Salzburg
Web: https://jessicalaumanlairson.com/
Jessica is a postdoctoral researcher working on the ERC project, “From Spins to Birds to Traders: Model Adaptation in the Study of Critical Behavior” (MACBeh). Project websites: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101220703 and https://www.macbeh.com/. Her research sits at the intersection of philosophy of science and epistemology, with a particular focus on analogical inference and model transfer in science. Her current research develops a pluralistic, pragmatic account of analogical inference, arguing that while relevant similarity cannot be captured by formal schema, normativity can be preserved through context-sensitive tools that guide inference under uncertainty. She also examines how cognitive heuristics shape scientific reasoning, integrating findings from cognitive science with normative philosophical accounts.
Academic Career
- 2026-Present: Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Salzburg
- 2026: Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Pomona College
- 2025: PhD in Logic and Philosophy of Science at the University of California, Irvine
Areas of Specialization
Philosophy of Science
