Genetics and Biocolonialism in Contemporary Literature and Film. (360G-Wellcome-106839_Z_15_Z)

This project will explore the representation in global literature and film of genetic research on vulnerable and isolated populations. This research has gained significant media attention - from the Human Genome Diversity Project to the HeLa controversy - and has led to medical science and the pharmaceutical industry being framed as agents of 'biocolonialism', a term highlighting the power dynamics involved when minority groups are 'mined' for their genetic riches. The research programme will us e postcolonial critical methodologies to investigate how creative depictions of genetics can help us understand the cultural politics of biomedical research, focusing especially on work by indigenous, postcolonial, and minority writers. It starts from the premise that the creative arts, and modes of critique drawn from literary and cultural studies, can be transformative in facilitating cross-cultural understanding, dialogue, and knowledge exchange regarding genetic science. Concepts like intell ectual property are often incompatible with non-western worldviews, and produce conflicts over how human life is valued in the genomic era. The researchers will explore how imaginative texts portray such tensions, and evaluate their implications for debates taking place within bioethics, health policy, and international law. Key goals of the programme extend from producing high-quality academic outputs to using creative works to engage the public with cross-cultural experiences of genetic resear ch. Its overarching aims are to advance the globalisation of the medical humanities by promoting postcolonial approaches to biomedicine, and to aid the Wellcome Trust in developing ethical frameworks that empower global communities in their engagements with genetic research.