Genomics and Society: Critical Perspectives on Commercial DNA Testing

The DNADialogues Network is pleased to invite you for our upcoming online workshop, Genomics and Society: Critical Perspectives on Commercial DNA Testing, taking place on Monday November 18th, 2024, from 14:00 to 16:00 (GMT). This event will explore the transformative impact of commercial DNA testing and its broad range of applications in contemporary society.

In recent years, the rapid rise of commercial DNA testing has dramatically reshaped fields such as personal identity, genealogy, healthcare, and forensics. These advancements raise important ethical, social, and legal questions about the commercialization of genetic data, privacy concerns, and the implications for healthcare and identity.

Program:

14:00-14:10 Introduction: DNADialogues network

14:10-14:40 Keynote: Prof Turi King

14:40-14:55 Discussion

Break and preparations for the short presentations

15:00-15:20 Session 1

Dr Petra Nordqvist et al.: Relational dynamite: DNA testing kinship encounters in donor conception communities.

Anaïs Martin, PhD: What are we to each other? The limits of DNA in Donor Conception.

Juliette Careau et al.: Exploring the psychosocial impact of learning “Not Parent Expected” news from a Direct-to-Consumer ancestry DNA test.

15:20-15:30 Discussion

15:30-15:50 Session 2

Prof Cathy Herbrand: The rise of expanded carrier screening as a commercial-only test in the UK.

Dr Alison Kay: Negotiating visibility: UK adopted adults’ views on Direct-to-Consumer genomics.

15:50-16:00 Discussion

Keynote Speaker:

We are honored to announce that Professor Turi King will be delivering the keynote address. Prof. King is the Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution at The University of Bath. She is internationally recognised for her work using genetics in the fields of history, archaeology, forensics and genealogy, as well as for her contributions to science communication and public engagement. She is perhaps best known for her role in identifying the remains of Richard III after they were discovered in a carpark in Leicester and also for co-presenting the popular UK (BBC 2) television series DNA Family Secrets. Professor King is an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association, a Fellow of the Society of Biology, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and a Member of the International Society of Forensic Geneticists.

Short research presentations:

1. Dr Petra Nordqvist, University of Manchester

Biography: Dr Petra Nordqvist is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Manchester, UK and Co-Director of the Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives. Her research explores reproductive technologies, kinship, intimacy and sexualities with a particular focus on reproductive donation and its impact on relationships and relating. Her publications include Relative Strangers: Family Life, Genes and Donor Conception (Palgrave Macmillan 2014, with Carol Smart), and Donors: Curious Connections in Donor Conception (Emerald 2022, with Leah Gilman).

Presentation: Relational dynamite: DNA testing kinship encounters in donor conception communities. Authors: P Nordqvist, L Gilman, C Redhead, M Fox, N Hudson, F MacCallum, L Frith.

2. Anaïs Martin, PhD, social anthropologist, postdoctoral fellow, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada.

Biography: Anaïs Martin is a social anthropologist (PhD) and a postdoctoral fellow with the Canada Research Chair in Third Party Reproduction and Family Ties (Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada). In December 2024, she will join the team of the NorPro ANR project for her next postdoctoral position (LISST-CAS, Université Toulouse Jean-Jaurès, France). Her research focuses on kinship in contemporary Euro-American societies, with a particular interest in donor conception and the connections it creates. She has conducted studies with adults conceived via anonymous sperm donation in France and England, and with American, Australian and Canadian gamete donors who have been contacted by a donor offspring. These studies have led her to reflect on the role of procreation and bodies in contemporary definitions of kinship.

Presentation: What are we to each other? The limits of DNA in Donor Conception

3. Juliette Careau, Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Centre, McGill University, 6875 LaSalle Blvd, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Biography: Juliette Careau is a research assistant in the Social Psychiatry Research and Interest Group (SPRING Lab) at the Douglas Research Centre. This study is part of the research project she conducted to complete her master's degree in Mental Health at McGill University.

Presentation: Exploring the psychosocial impact of learning “Not Parent Expected” news from a Direct-to-Consumer ancestry DNA test. Careau J, Larmuseau MHD, Drumsta R, & Whitley R.

4. Prof Cathy Herbrand, Professor of Medical and Family Sociology, Centre for Reproduction Research, DMU

Biography: Cathy Herbrand is a Professor of Medical and Family Sociology and the Deputy Director of the Centre for Reproduction Research. She is a member of the Belgian Advisory Committee on Bioethics and an Associate Editor of the journal Reproduction and Fertility. Her research interests lie in the sociological and ethical study of new family forms, biotechnologies and genetics, with a particular focus on reproductive decision-making and gender issues.

Presentation: The rise of expanded carrier screening as a commercial-only test in the UK. Authors: C Herbrand, P Borry, L Culley, K Fearon, N Hudson, Z Miedzybrodzka, S Norcross, B Parry, E Eva Van Steijvoort.

5. Dr. Alison Kay (Ali) Postdoctoral Researcher, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (WIMM), University of Oxford Junior Research Fellow, Oxford Centre for Personalised Medicine, University of Oxford

Biography: Dr Alison Kay applies social science approaches to research questions in personalised medicine, with a particular focus on genetics and genomics. She is also a research genetic counsellor, with an interest in experiences of providing and receiving information regarding genetic/genomic testing.

Presentation: Negotiating visibility: UK adopted adults’ views on Direct-to-Consumer genomics.

How to Participate:

Registration via this link by November 14th:

https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/958846FE868CDE40

This workshop will be held online, and further details regarding access to the virtual platform will be provided to registered participants closer to the event. Registration is free, and we encourage academics, researchers, and students to join us for this critical discussion. For further inquiries or more information, please contact: joa.hiitola@oulu.fi

Sincerely,
The DNADialogues Network Team
https://www.oulu.fi/en/research-groups/dnadialogues

The symposium is funded by Pohjois-Pohjanmaan Kulttuurirahasto and Eudaimonia Institute