Open research questions in Race, Genetics, and Society
52 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 2,132 Race, Genetics, and Society papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
in empirical evidence of what enables authentic deliberation in African governance contexts. substantive exclusion Effective governance of emerging biomedical technologies in African contexts requires moving beyond technocratic models of scientific oversight toward deliberative frameworks grounded in procedural justice. We argue that three interrelated principles: inclusivity of relevant stakeholders, authenticity of deliberation, Effective governance of emerging technologies in heterogeneous contexts requires three structural features (Chan et al., 2015): polycentric authority distribution across governance tiers (Nelson and Gersbach, 2016), mechanisms local knowledge and values into standard-setting, and (Caval and iere, 2018) adaptive review cycles to accommodate technological and social change (N and ikogosian, 2020). We examine how existing African regional governance bodies have operationalized these principles, and what HGGE governance can learn from their successes and limitations.
Navigating the human gene editing scene and proposing a new governance framework in Africa: from knowledge to policy to action · 2026 · DOIThe perspectives of genomic citizen scientists on ownership of research outputs are not well understood, yet they are useful for identifying alignment of participant expectations and project practices and can help guide efforts to develop innovative tools and strategies for managing ownership claims.
“Idealists and capitalists”: ownership attitudes and preferences in genomic citizen science · 2022 · DOIDespite a growing personal genomics market, little is known about how people engage with the possibilities offered by direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing.
The paper notes that Avery's response to Watson and Crick's 1953 double helix discovery is unknown, as is whether Avery even learned of the breakthrough before his death in 1955. A systematic investigation of Avery's correspondence, unpublished notes, and interactions with the molecular biology community during 1953-1955 could clarify how the transforming principle concept was integrated with structural DNA knowledge.
The paper documents that an influential section of the scientific community either dismissed Avery's 1944 transformation findings due to concerns about technical flaws or failed to grasp their significance outside their own research systems. A detailed analysis of the specific technical criticisms raised by skeptics and the methodological limitations they identified in the pneumococcal DNA transformation experiments remains unexplored.
In this so-called “postracial” moment, these undertakings reveal how race politics have taken a genetic turn with mixed results: On the one hand, DNA-driven reconciliation projects show how novel applications of genetic science may offer new avenues for social inclusion (or exclusion), and new social roles.
After historically situating NBIC Convergence in the context of earlier bioethical debate on genetics, ten questions are raised in areas related to the ethics of Convergence, indicating where future research is needed.
Because of risks he sees in prenatal genetic engineering or enhancement, Habermas submits that society is warranted in erecting [n]ormative barriers in dealing with embryos in order to protect its form of life (122/71-72).
Such findings indicate that attention to and joint studies with other disciplines should be regarded as indispensable features of in human behavior genetics. At the same time, it may be anti- cipated that genetics will become a core discipline in the psychobiology of human behavior, just as molecular biology became a focal point in the biological sciences in general. REFERENCES ALVIN, P. 1967. The testes, p. 395-445. In Robert Williams (ed.), Textbook of endocrinology, W. B. Saunders, Co., Philadelphia and London. ASAKA, A. 1968. Psychiatric study of six psychotic patients with Klinefelter's syndrome. Psychiat. Neurol. Jap. 70:990-1018. CAUGHEY, J. E. 1963. The heart in dystrophia myotonica, p. 48-62. In J. E. Caughey and N. C. Myrianthopoulos (eds.), Dystrophia Myotonica and related disorders. Charles C Thomas, Spring- field. DENCKER, S. J. 19S8. A follow-up study of 128 closed head injuries in twins using co-twins as controls. Acta Psychiat. Neurol. Scand. 33 (Suppl. 123): 125. DENCKER, S. J., and LÖFVING, B. 19S8. A psycho- metric study of identical twins discordant for injury. Acta Psychiat. Neurol. closed head Scand. 33 (Suppl. 122): 50. IHDA, S. 1961. A study of neurosis by twin method. Psychiat. Neurol. Jap. 63:861-892. INOUYE, E. 1960. Observations on forty twin index cases with chronic epilepsy and their co- twins. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 130:401-416. . 1961. Similarity and dissimilarity of schizo- phrenia twins. Proc. III World Congr. Psychiat. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. in . 1970. Twin studies and human behavior genetics. Jap. J. Hum. Genet. 15:1-23. Downloaded by [York University Libraries] at 18:23 02 January 2015 Vol. 20, No. 3 Methodology of Human Behavior Genetics 245 INOUYE, E., C. HARUHARA, and K. MUROBUSE.
How success- ful these experiments will be remains to be seen. ignored conductors of An impediment that is even more serious for realization of human equality in the face of genetic diversity is that some so- cially valued abilities are relatively abun- dant while others are scarce. The conclusion is warranted that the genetic diversity can be made compatible with equality of opportunity.
6 Downloaded by [Ohio State University Libraries] at 11:52 14 October 2014 156 Birdsell Social Biology with three isolated peaks, each limited to a single tribal isolate, rising out of the generally undulating surface of low values which shows no consistent slope.
That remains to be proved; in the mean- time, given that we must choose, what shall we choose to be? Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 16:36 04 March 2015 Vol.
" He also said that animistic answers cannot "correctly be considered poetry, philosophy, whimsy or science" that if a series of open questions is asked about the things that would fall into various cate gories, students can and do make the "correct" distinctions between living and nonliving. There is clear need for further study of the conditions under which inanimate objects may be treated ani mistically and of other ways in which flexibility of thought can be achieved.
However, this framework remains largely inferential when applied to colonial India, as direct empirical epigenetic data from historically exposed populations is currently lacking.
From Colonial Trauma to Biological Memory: A Critical Review of Intergenerational Epigenetic Mechanisms · 2026 · DOIThere is a need to explore biobanks beyond single countries; future research should expand to Bolivia, Paraguay, and other South American nations to capture regional ancestral diversity.
Native American ancestries are underrepresented in existing biobanks; current resources like the Mexico Biobank do not adequately capture the genetic diversity of all South American populations.
Quantitative and qualitative analyses showed insufficient knowledge of essential genetic concepts, including striking cases of over- and under-estimation of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
In recent years, there have been high-profile cases of mass shooters, public intellectuals, and political insiders using genomics findings to convince audiences that deadly force and coercive policies against racial minorities are warranted.
Abstract This paper critically analyses the hypothesis of the aetiological link between EDCs and trans identities from a scientific point of view, evincing its lack of evidence.
Even though there is a significant amount of scholarly work examining the ethical issues surrounding human genomics research, little is known about its footing in Malaysia.
Ethical challenges of conducting and reviewing human genomics research in Malaysia: An exploratory study · 2023 · DOIThis commentary builds off the article "Is Trust Enough? Anti-Black Racism and the Perception of Black Vaccine 'Hesitancy,'" by Yolonda Wilson, and her assertion that the question, "Why don't Black people trust … ?" is insufficient.
People may seek to embody cultural ideals of the life course through their use or rejection of medical interventions, including but not limited to anti-aging treatments.
Time and Collective Biology: Relationships Between Individual and Societal Life Course Ideologies in Mexican Men’s Sexual Health Treatment · 2021 · DOIAncestry testing and personal social media accounts were commonly promoted, demonstrating biotechnological hype where promotion abounds and critiques are scarce.
This article attempts to consider things as yet underinvestigated, in particular, the way in which medical research on Koreans emerged and was intertwined with Japanese colonialism in other ways, separate from contemporary eugenics projects.
In particular, I will argue that in a postgenomic view of germline editing a complete ban on specific uses of the technology is warranted, because the research needed to assess the safety of these interventions would not be morally defensible.
Most-cited papers in Race, Genetics, and Society
- Why genes don't count (for racial differences in health) · American Journal of Public Health · 2000 · 238 citations
- Using genetics for social science · Nature Human Behaviour · 2020 · 139 citations
- Sociology, Genetics, and the Coming of Age of Sociogenomics · Annual Review of Sociology · 2020 · 96 citations
- We are All Nonbinary · Representations · 2022 · 88 citations
- Locating ethnicity and health: exploring concepts and contexts · Sociology of Health & Illness · 2007 · 82 citations
- The Genealogical Method of Anthropological Inquiry · The Sociological Review · 1910 · 77 citations
- Pandemics and prejudice · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · 2020 · 67 citations
- Genomics literacy matters: Supporting the development of genomics literacy through genetics education could reduce the prevalence of genetic essentialism · Journal of Research in Science Teaching · 2020 · 62 citations
- Addressing racism and disparities in the biomedical sciences · Nature Human Behaviour · 2020 · 60 citations
- Citizen views on genome editing: effects of species and purpose · Agriculture and Human Values · 2021 · 56 citations
Most recent work
- Does race have confounders? · Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health · 2026
- Exploring the Complexity of Considering Race in the Practice of Medicine · MedEdPORTAL · 2026
- Exploring the genetic heritage of Peru: an interview with Victor Borda · Communications Biology · 2026
- Measuring ancestry · Biology & Philosophy · 2026
- Beyond biology: parenthood without genetics · Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law · 2026
- From Colonial Trauma to Biological Memory: A Critical Review of Intergenerational Epigenetic Mechanisms · Advances in Medical Sciences and Research · 2026
- A Culturally Grounded Method for Dialogue Between Indigenous Peoples and Researchers on Emerging Technologies: Lessons from the Gene Drive Context · Gates Open Research · 2026
- Enslaved Health and Healing in <i>An American Health Dilemma</i>: A Retrospective Review. · PubMed · 2026
- Ethical Priorities Among Commercial Genomics Professionals · Journal of Bioethical Inquiry · 2026
- “There’s no representation”: a qualitative study of attitudes and motivations towards genomic research participation among Australian South Asians · European Journal of Human Genetics · 2026
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