"'Whose Science? Whose Knowledge?’* Equitable Partnerships and Diverse Teams for Just Genomic Research"

Genome scientists’ increased efforts to recruit diverse research participants and form diverse research teams rely on building relationships but often fall short of establishing equitable partnerships. Historically, collaborations in genomic research have reflected a landscape in which power is concentrated in a few scientific centers and the benefits of research redound to institutions with the greatest power and resources, while marginalized communities disproportionately shoulder the potential risks of exploitation and group harm. The trustworthiness of institutions and research teams has been a central part of the ELSI communities’ discourse related to overcoming these historical challenges and advancing diversity, inclusion, justice, and equity. This panel focuses on models of equitable partnership and the role of meso-level actors, policies, and procedures that define the contours of the relationships between researchers, institutions, and communities. Panelists will examine the real-world barriers and facilitators that projects face to forging partnerships and teams that can optimize the potential for benefit, equity, and justice in genomic research.

Authors: Shawneequa Callier, The George Washington University; Caitlin E. McMahon, Columbia University; Julia Gordon, University of California, San Francisco; Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Columbia University; Janet Shim, University of California, San Francisco; Lori B. Chibnik, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health; Kristianna Post, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health; Dickens Akena, Makerere University; Symon Kariuki, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme; Karestan Koenen, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health United States; Charles Newton, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme; Dan Stein, University of Capetown; Solomon Teferra, Addis Ababa University; Zukiswa Zingela, Walter Sisulu University; Bizu Gelaye, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health; Lukoye Atwoli, Aga Khan University; Elise Li Zheng, Columbia University; Chessa Adsit-Morris, University of California, Santa Cruz; James Karabin, University of California, Santa Cruz; Jenny Reardon, University of California, Santa Cruz; Paul Meller, Wellcome Trust; Georgina MacKenzie, Wellcome Trust; Peter Kilroy, Wellcome Trust; Helena Wells, Wellcome Trust; Urszula Pawlicka-Geger, Wellcome Trust; James McCann, Wellcome Trust; Alfie Williams, Wellcome Trust

*Harding, Sandra. 1991. Whose Science? Whose Knowledge? Thinking from Women's Lives. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.