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Presenter: Dr. Shirley Hsaio-Li Sun, Associate Professor, Sociology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Moderator: Susan McDaniel, Director, Prentice Institute & Canada Research Chair in Global Population & Life Course, Prentice Research Chair & Professor of Sociology, University of Lethbridge
As Hinterberger (2012: 3) points out, “while contemporary genomic research promises personalized medicine (or measures of risk) targeted at the level of the individual, it is primarily the comparison of groups and populations that drives human genome research.” Drawing on semi-structured interview data with medical oncologists in Asia, this research shows that pharmaceutical companies often rely on information regarding the frequency of a particular genetic mutation in populations categorized by race and ethnicity in their decision-making about the kinds of medical interventions they develop. While previous studies have identified the role of the ethnic niche market in this phenomenon of the medicalization of race, I argue that such a phenomenon cannot be fully explained without an
understanding of the socio-cultural rationale underlying clinical trials.
Contact:
Nancy Metz | nancy.metz@uleth.ca | (403) 380-1814