Award Information
The evolution of human and medical genetics promises much in the way of progress of medical care and research for an increasing number of diseases. However, it also brings with it biotechnical questions, concerning the storage and use of genetic information in DNA banks. Yet, few social scientists have focus on these empirical issues of DNA banking work (and policies of DNA banking work) in cross-national settings. My research project will provide a detailed analysis of the diverse regulation which affect DNA banks, focusing on: 1) how human genetic material and family information have first been collected by clinical practitioners and then, through various transformations, codified into genetic information for baking purposes, with reference to the case of Huntington's disease, and 2) how laboratories, medical professions and governments regulate the use of genetic information for genetic research and testing in Canada, Japan and the United States. This research method will employ two methods: ethnographic field work and comparative analysis.