About the IAPP

Thomasen earned her Juris Doctor degree at the University of Ottawa and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Anthropology from McMaster University and Master of Arts in International Affairs from Carleton University. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Law at the University of Ottawa, where her dissertation focused on public space privacy intrusions facilitated by robots and artificial intelligence (e.g., drones, facial recognition technology). Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, she served as law clerk to the Honourable Madam Justice Rosalie Abella at the Supreme Court of Canada and clerked for the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, as well as articling for Alberta Justice.

Thomasen has published her research in several articles and book chapters, most recently a piece on “Robots, Regulation, and the Changing Nature of Public Space” in the Ottawa Law Review, and research on “Safety in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Governance in Canada” in the Canadian Bar Review. She is a regular public commentator in the mainstream media and other channels, and serves on the LEAF Tech-Facilitated Violence Sub-Committee, and the BC Law Institute Tort Law and AI Committee. She teaches in the areas of tort law, privacy law, and robotics law and policy.