New Project on Industrial Biotechnology
I’m thrilled to lead the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and policy components of the BBSRC funded project, Engineering Biology Mission Hub for Environmental Processing and Recovery of Metals (ELEMENTAL). Recovering critical minerals and metals will play a critical strategic role in circular economy and in pollution reduction/prevention. Key technical breakthroughs, such as new engineering … Continue reading
Bangaluru fieldwork
I had an amazingly productive week in Bangaluru at the beginning of January, discussing science diplomacy and global governance in synthetic biology and biobanking with natural and social scientists. I am so grateful to Suryesh K Namdeo, PhD and everyone at the DST Centre for Policy Research – IISc Bangalore for their rich insights and fantastic questions. It was … Continue reading
Editorships at the International Sociological Association
It was a great honour to be elected as the new editor for two of the International Sociological Association’s (ISA) publications:1) Current Sociology monographs (special issues) and 2) the SAGE Studies in International Sociology. Since last November, I’ve been supported by a wonderful group of colleagues at the ISA, especially my predecessor Professor Chaime Marcuello. … Continue reading
Why I worry (differently) about China’s biobanks
I wrote a commentary piece for the Progress Educational Trust last November. Below is an excerpt: China’s fast rise in the biobanking sector has spurred international concerns. One prominent example is the Chinese company BGI Group, which manages China National GeneBank. In 2021, Reuters warned that BGI might be accumulating data for military advantages from millions of women … Continue reading
Three Conferences in China
In mid-September I visited China for the first time since the pandemic. I was thrilled to see friends and colleagues in Chengdu and in Beijing. It was a real honour to discuss how to open up science communication with a distinguished panel this Tuesday in Beijing at the 2023 World Conference on Science Literacy (please … Continue reading
Co-Host UK-India G20 Event in Delhi
I felt very privileged to co-organise this UK-India dialogue on BioGovernance and Science Diplomacy with Krishna Ravi Srinivas at the RIS in Delhi last week, as part of a series of discussions leading up to this year’s G20 meeting. (Background paper and full agenda can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eMdA5Gzn) We were thrilled to have Dr Renu Swarup give the opening … Continue reading
Scandals and RRI – Call for Papers
In collaboration with Kathleen Vogel (Arizona State University), Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley (George Mason University) I’m organising a special issue for the top quartile journal, Journal of Responsible Innovation on the topic ‘How Do Scandals Shape the Understanding and Practice of Responsible Research and Innovation?‘ Scientific scandals are particularly important to our understanding and practice of … Continue reading
Decolonising policy
Following my Critical Policy Studies article on decolonising science policy , it was great to be invited to contribute to the panel “Beyond Critical? Decolonialising Policy Studies organised by CPS editing team at the 6th International Conference on Public Policy. My wonderful colleague Dr. Trude Sundberg also gave a talk at the event, on the topic ‘Decolonialising … Continue reading
Climate and Health
I joined the Wellcome Trust’s Climate Impacts Advisory Committee in June. The Wellcome Climate Impacts Awards fund transdisciplinary teams to deliver short-term, high-impact projects, combining evidence generation with communications and/or public engagement. The aim is to make the impacts of climate change visible across a wide range of physical and mental health outcomes in order to drive … Continue reading
Legacies of the Asilomar
The three day event, ‘Engineering Life: Regulating Science, Risks, and Society in Europe‘, organised by Luis Campos (Rice University), Francesco Cassata (University of Genoa and Centro Linceo ‘B. Segre’), and Christina Brandt (Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena) in June was a real intellectual treat. I was glad to be able to contribute a talk, titled ‘From Self-Governing to … Continue reading
