BRCA Gene Research and Medical Practices. A comparative transnational social science workshop. (360G-Wellcome-095798_Z_11_Z)

This 3 day workshop will bring together 20 international researchers working in the field of ?BRCA? or breast cancer gene research and medical practices to develop an emerging international comparative perspective on these developments. The workshop will include cross disciplinary researchers working in sociology, anthropology, science and technology studies, history of science, history of medicine, public health and political science. The BRCA research represented by workshop participants includes Germany, UK, Greece, France, Switzerland, Australia, US, Brazil, India, Israel, Uruguay, Canada and Mexico. Collectively this work focuses on questions of patient subjectivity and female identity, family/kin relationships in the context of genetic testing, population genetics, ethnicity and race, public health, and the dynamic relationship between BRCA gene research, laboratory practices, medical research and the health care professions. The goals of the workshop are: To extend and deepen the engagement and work of cross disciplinary researchers examining developments in the field of BRCA gene research and medical practices from a comparative social science perspective. To widen discussion and understanding of these developments beyond Euro-American contexts or technologically-advanced societies, as genetic technologies continue to expand across national and trans-national arenas. To develop the topics and themes of the workshop into an edited book collection.