ELSIcon2022 Panel: What Can Intersectionality Bring to ELSI?: Transforming Theory into Practice

ELSIcon2022 • Panel Session 8 • June 1, 2022

Daphne Martschenko, Lucas Matthews, Maya Sabatello, Krystal Tsosie

In theory, the study of Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) of scientific research deploys intersectional approaches to explore how inequalities and inequities overlap and co-produce. In practice, however, ELSI has been criticized for solidifying silos and promoting box-ticking exercises that do not produce genuine integration between the natural and social sciences or enable productive scholarship on inequality and inequity. The disconnect between what ELSI promises and the dominant approaches to the research limits the scope and reach of the field. Given these challenges, this multidisciplinary panel will explore the theory and practice of intersectionality in ELSI research. The examples of intersectional approaches to ELSI research presented in this panel focus on social and behavioral genomics, cohort diversity in precision medicine research, and Indigenous data sovereignty. Panel presentations will be followed by an interactive discussion with the audience.