Dr. Andrea Quinlan

Biography

Andrea Quinlan is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Sociology at the University of Waterloo. Her research interests lie primarily in the intersections of law, medicine, science, and technology with a focus on the criminal justice responses to sexual violence. She investigates how anti-violence movements influence sexual assault laws, policies, and institutional practices. Her work is further informed by a SSHRC-funded research project that examines the contemporary controversies surrounding rape kits in the United States, discussing the implications of rape kit backlogs and at-home rape kits within broader political contexts. Quinlan actively collaborates on several projects, including SSHRC-funded work on sexual assault care in rural Ontario and Scotland, and CIHR-funded initiatives addressing sexual violence activism on Canadian university campuses. Her publications highlight critical discussions around technoscience in sexual assault investigations and the societal impacts of forensic science. Quinlan is committed to advancing the understanding of socio-legal studies in the context of gender-based violence.

Research Interests

Experience