My Monthly Archives: February 2025

June 06, 2025 | BME80G Series: Tina Lasisi on Guilty by Genetic Association: Database Disparities, Family Structure, and the Racialized Reach of DNA Surveillance

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Friday, June 06, 2025

1:20 – 2:25 pm 

J. Baskin Aud 101 (flyer)

On Friday, June 06 at 1:20 pm, you are invited to join S&J affiliate and Associate Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Karen Miga’s BME 80G Bioethics course for a talk by Tina Lasisi.

Guilty by Genetic Association: Database Disparities, Family Structure, and the Racialized Reach of DNA Surveillance

Forensic DNA databases disproportionately contain the genetic profiles of Black Americans, reflecting systemic biases in policing practices and inequitable application of DNA collection laws. Yet, the ethical implications of genetic surveillance extend beyond individual inclusion, implicating entire families and communities due to shared genetic ties. Historical differences in family structure—characterized by higher variance in family size among Black Americans—further compound this disparity. Larger family sizes increase genetic detectability through familial DNA searches, effectively expanding surveillance across genetically related individuals, even when those individuals are not themselves the initial target of investigation.This dynamic exemplifies how technologies initially designed under one scientific paradigm—identifying single individuals through a limited set of genetic markers—can evolve, gaining unforeseen capabilities like familial identification. As genetic data continues to accumulate in diverse databases, including commercial ventures such as direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, the potential for future uses beyond original intentions increases dramatically. This underscores the need for proactive ethical reflection and policy development to anticipate and mitigate unintended disparities, ensuring that the accumulation and repurposing of genetic data does not deepen existing racial injustices or create new vulnerabilities.

Tina Lasisi, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan.

Tina Lasisi is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. Her research integrates population genetics, evolutionary biology, and anthropology to understand human biological variation, particularly focusing on hair, skin, and pigmentation. Her current work examines the ethical and social implications of forensic genetics, particularly how systemic disparities in genetic databases contribute to racialized surveillance. In addition to her academic work, she is committed to public scholarship, engaging in science communication initiatives that promote a more accurate and nuanced understanding of human variation.

Co-hosted by the UCSC Department of Biomolecular Engineering, the Genomics Institute, and the Science & Justice Research Center.

May 23, 2025 | BME80G Series: Ma’n Zawati on Crowdsourcing Smartphone Data for Biomedical Research and Algorithm Training: Ethical and Legal Questions (CANCELLED)

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Friday, May 23, 2025

1:20 – 2:25 pm 

VIRTUAL (flyer) Zoom Registration

On Friday, May 23 at 1:20 pm, you are invited to join S&J affiliate and Associate Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Karen Miga’s BME 80G Bioethics course for a talk by Ma’n Zawati.

Crowdsourcing Smartphone Data for Biomedical Research and Algorithm Training: Ethical and Legal Questions

More than 5 billion people in the world own a smartphone.  More than half of these have been used to collect and process health-related data, the existing volume of potentially exploitable health data is unprecedentedly large and growing rapidly.  Indeed, mobile health applications (apps) on smartphones are increasingly being used for gathering and exchanging significant amounts of personal health data from the public. This data is often utilized for biomedical research purposes and for algorithm training. While there are advantages to utilizing this data for expanding biomedical knowledge, there are associated risks for the users of these apps, such as privacy concerns and the protection of their data. Consequently, gaining a deeper comprehension of how apps collect and crowdsource data is crucial. This presentation will provide a better understanding of these concerns and ways to address them.

Ma’n Zawati, Associate Professor, Research Director, Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University.

Ma’n Zawati (LL.B., LL.M., Ph.D. (DCL)) is an Associate Professor at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Research Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy in the Department of Human Genetics. He is also an Associate Member in the Department of Medicine, the Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy and the Faculty of Law. His work is interdisciplinary, drawing together perspectives from law, ethics, genomics, and policy. His research mainly focuses on the legal, ethical and policy dimensions of health research and clinical care, specializing in data sharing, governance, professional liability, and the use of novel technologies (e.g., mhealth apps, WGS, WES and Artificial Intelligence). During COVID-19, Prof. Zawati was instrumental in establishing the ethics governance for multiple initiatives, including the Quebec COVID19 Biobank (BQC19), CGEn’s HostSeq project and the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force. His work has facilitated access and use of data and samples across jurisdictions.

Co-hosted by the UCSC Department of Biomolecular Engineering, the Genomics Institute, and the Science & Justice Research Center.