Dr Francisco Duran del Fierro is a research fellow at UCL Knowledge Lab. He holds a PhD in Sociology of Knowledge from IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society. Francisco's research focuses on subjectivity-constitution within science communities using a conceptual framework that combines an epistemological and ethical perspective. His PhD research explored the ethical dimension of academic critique using the Chilean universities as a case study. His current research at UCL Knowledge Lab examines the digital transformation of science communities, interrogating how new research infrastructures contribute to and are affected by scientists' identity formation practices. He has established collaborations with the UK astronomy community and research infrastructure experts for this project. Francisco has published his work in Spanish and English in multiple academic journals in different countries (e.g., the UK, Australia, Brazil and Chile). He has worked as a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant (PGTA) at UCL Social Research Institute from 2020 to 2023, teaching in the Introduction to Sociology Module at an undergraduate level.
