Working Session: Changing and Problematic Aspects of Biomedical Research
Thursday 29 July 2010, 8:45am - 10:15am

Many people are concerned about potentially harmful applications of genetic and reproductive technologies, while remaining supportive of biomedical research. But are there aspects of the research itself that call for increased societal scrutiny? What are the social - and scientific - implications of the rapid growth and increasing depth of financial and career ties between research universities and life sciences corporations, and between individual researchers and commercial enterprises? What dynamics encourage a disproportionate research on genetic rather than social determinants of health and well-being? How does the preoccupation with genetics affect biomedical research, social science research, and specific research agendas including those concerned wtih disability and race? How might influence be brought to bear for more balanced research agendas? This session considered problematic aspects of such new research and the sorts of oversight and policy measures that might be called for.

 

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