She holds a PhD in philosophy from Stanford University, and she works in the areas of philosophy of science and philosophy of biology. Professor Potochnik's research focuses on the methodology of population biology, especially evolutionary and behavioral ecology; the role of idealized models in biology and science more generally; and how gender and other social factors influence these aspects of science. She's also interested in related questions about the properties of scientific explanations and the relationships among different fields of science. Finally, she has an abiding interest in the history of logical empiricism, especially the work of Otto Neurath.