About

On paper, as they say, I have a PhD in Ethics and Ancient Philosophy from Western University, a Masters in Philosophy with Collaborative Specialization in Bioethics from the University of Toronto, and a Diploma in Ethics from the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University. I was a 2023 Brownstone Institute Fellow, and have authored two books, My Choice (2021) and Our Last Innocent Moment (2024). But this only captures a part of who I am.

In the fall of 2021, these credentials were put to the test when I challenged my university’s Covid mandate. In true “when one door closes” fashion, I was launched into a new world where I have been able to reach more people than I ever did in the classroom.

I have been fortunate to interview with some of our foremost public voices including Bret Weinstein, Jordan Peterson, Zuby, and Mathias Desmet. I have spoken at numerous events, including the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, and even returned to Western, the university that terminated me, to speak at a student-organized rally in 2022. An INFJ, Enneagram 4, and audacious dreamer, I am also the noise in the study, the outlier, the one who cares more about being able to sleep at night than fitting in.

“Nothing can prepare you for the power of this work. It’s a masterpiece.”

— Jeffrey Tucker

“A very thought provoking and insightful compilation of essays. Highly recommend. Motivating, inspiring, reflective and a wonderful read. Definitely recommend.”

— Amanda Helmle

“Dr. Ponesse’s personal story and her deep dive into all the ethical questions surrounding this pandemic are poignant reminders of the classical liberal world we are leaving behind and the dark authoritarian world that is emerging in its place. But Dr. Ponesse’s courageous stand and her uncompromising love of freedom provide us with a much-needed example of how to reverse the tide.”

— Juluis Ruechel, author of Autopsy of a Pandemic