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Rajagopalan RM, Cakici J, Bloss CS. A Vision for Empirical ELSI along the R&D Pipeline. AJOB Empir Bioeth 2024; 15:81-86. [PMID: 38214924 DOI: 10.1080/23294515.2023.2297931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramya M Rajagopalan
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, UC San Diego, La Jolla, USA
- Center for Empathy and Technology, T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, UC San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Julie Cakici
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, UC San Diego, La Jolla, USA
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, La Jolla, USA
| | - Cinnamon S Bloss
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, UC San Diego, La Jolla, USA
- Center for Empathy and Technology, T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, UC San Diego, La Jolla, USA
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Dolan DD, Lee SSJ, Cho MK. Three decades of ethical, legal, and social implications research: Looking back to chart a path forward. CELL GENOMICS 2022; 2:100150. [PMID: 35935917 PMCID: PMC9352173 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
More than thirty years ago in the United States, the National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its partner in the Human Genome Project (HGP), the Department of Energy (DOE), called for proposals from social scientists, ethicists, lawyers, and others to explore the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of mapping and sequencing the human genome. Today, nearly twenty years after the completion of the HGP, the ELSI Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) continues this support. It has fostered the growth of ELSI research into a global field of study, uniquely positioned at the nexus of many academic disciplines and in proximity to basic and applied scientific research. We examine the formation of the first ELSI program and consider whether science policy in the public interest can exist within the confines of a set-aside from the NHGRI budget.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanne Dunbar Dolan
- Center for ELSI Resources and Analysis (CERA), Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sandra Soo-Jin Lee
- Division of Ethics, Department of Medical Humanities & Ethics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mildred K. Cho
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA
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Kaladharan S, Vidgen ME, Pearson JV, Donoghue VK, Whiteman DC, Waddell N, Pratt G. Ask the people: developing guidelines for genomic research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:bmjgh-2021-007259. [PMID: 34732514 PMCID: PMC8572381 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In health and medical research, guidelines are a set of statements and recommendations, whereby experts or stakeholders assess published literature to generate practical advice for a specific audience. This emphasis on guidelines development with expert consultation and published literature is not practical or inclusive when working in disciplines with minimal data and addressing issues that concern under-represented communities. Here we describe the process used for developing guidelines for the conduct of genomic research projects in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. A new technology with individual and community level ethical and social implications, and First Nations peoples with cultural and community expectations for research. We developed the guidelines through a consultation process that used participatory action research to engage with various stakeholders during multiple rounds of tailored activities. The end product, ‘Genomic Partnerships: Guidelines for Genomics Research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Queensland’ reflects the needs of the end-users and perspectives of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations that participated. Through this process, we have identified recommendations for developing guidelines with other under-represented communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sid Kaladharan
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.,Nambour General Hospital, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, Nambour, Queensland, Australia
| | - Miranda E Vidgen
- Medical Genomics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - John V Pearson
- Genome Informatics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Victoria K Donoghue
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.,Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David C Whiteman
- Cancer Control, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicola Waddell
- Medical Genomics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gregory Pratt
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia
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Blanchard J, Hiratsuka V, Beans JA, Lund J, Saunkeah B, Yracheta J, Woodbury RB, Blacksher E, Peercy M, Ketchum S, Byars C, Spicer P. Power Sharing, Capacity Building, and Evolving Roles in ELSI: The Center for the Ethics of Indigenous Genomic Research. COLLABORATIONS (CORAL GABLES, FLA.) 2020; 3:18. [PMID: 34708212 PMCID: PMC8547310 DOI: 10.33596/coll.71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Persistent, unresolved issues stemming from a legacy of scientific exploitation and bio-colonialism have kept many tribal nations from participating in genomic research. The Center for the Ethics of Indigenous Genomic Research (CEIGR) aims to model meaningful community engagement that moves toward more inclusive and equitable research practices related to genomics. This article reflects on key successes and challenges behind CEIGR's efforts to shape Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) research in ways that are informed by Indigenous perspectives, to locate community partnerships at the center of genomics research, and to conduct normative and empirical research with Indigenous communities that is grounded in the concepts of reciprocity, transparency and cultural competency. The structure of CEIGR represents an important shift away from a traditional model centered on a university-based principal investigators toward a partner-centered research approach that emphasizes equity and community control by distributing power and decision-making across all CEIGR partner sites. We discuss three features of CEIGR that have contributed to this shift towards an equitable, community-driven partnership: 1) balancing local priorities with collective goals; 2) distributing power in ways that promote equitable partnerships; and 3) capacity building and co-learning across partner sites. The discussion of these three areas in this article speaks to a particular strength of our Center: the interdependence among partners and collective willingness to maintain a plasticity of leadership that creates space for all of our partners to lead, support, exchange and strengthen ELSI research.
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6
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Walker RL, Morrissey C. Bioethics methods in the ethical, legal, and social implications of the human genome project literature. BIOETHICS 2014; 28:481-490. [PMID: 23796275 PMCID: PMC3785570 DOI: 10.1111/bioe.12023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
While bioethics as a field has concerned itself with methodological issues since the early years, there has been no systematic examination of how ethics is incorporated into research on the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) of the Human Genome Project. Yet ELSI research may bear a particular burden of investigating and substantiating its methods given public funding, an explicitly cross-disciplinary approach, and the perceived significance of adequate responsiveness to advances in genomics. We undertook a qualitative content analysis of a sample of ELSI publications appearing between 2003 and 2008 with the aim of better understanding the methods, aims, and approaches to ethics that ELSI researchers employ. We found that the aims of ethics within ELSI are largely prescriptive and address multiple groups. We also found that the bioethics methods used in the ELSI literature are both diverse between publications and multiple within publications, but are usually not themselves discussed or employed as suggested by bioethics method proponents. Ethics in ELSI is also sometimes undistinguished from related inquiries (such as social, legal, or political investigations).
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Coughlin SS, Dawson A. Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Exposomics: A Call for Research Investment. Public Health Ethics 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/phe/phu031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Yoshizawa G, Ho CWL, Zhu W, Hu C, Syukriani Y, Lee I, Kim H, Tsai DFC, Minari J, Kato K. ELSI practices in genomic research in East Asia: implications for research collaboration and public participation. Genome Med 2014; 6:39. [PMID: 24944586 PMCID: PMC4062049 DOI: 10.1186/gm556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Common infrastructures and platforms are required for international collaborations in large-scale human genomic research and policy development, such as the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health and the 'ELSI 2.0' initiative. Such initiatives may require international harmonization of ethical and regulatory requirements. To enable this, however, a greater understanding of issues and practices that relate to the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genomic research will be needed for the different countries and global regions involved in such research. Here, we review the ELSI practices and regulations for genomic research in six East Asian countries (China, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan), highlighting the main similarities and differences between these countries, and more generally, in relation to Western countries. While there are significant differences in ELSI practices among these East Asian countries, there is a consistent emphasis on advancing genomic science and technology. In addition, considerable emphasis is placed on informed consent for participation in research, whether through the contribution of tissue samples or personal information. However, a higher level of engagement with interested stakeholders and the public will be needed in some countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Go Yoshizawa
- Department of Biomedical Ethics and Public Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Calvin Wai-Loon Ho
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Republic of Singapore
- The Ethox Centre, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Wei Zhu
- Department of Social Sciences, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Chingli Hu
- Office of the President, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 227 Chongqing Road, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yoni Syukriani
- Department of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University, Jl. Eijkman 38, Bandung 40161, Indonesia
| | - Ilhak Lee
- Center for ELSI Research, Asian Institute for Bioethics and Health Law, Department of Medical Law and Ethics, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, 50, Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
| | - Hannah Kim
- Center for ELSI Research, Asian Institute for Bioethics and Health Law, Department of Medical Law and Ethics, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, 50, Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749, South Korea
| | - Daniel Fu Chang Tsai
- Department of Social Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1 Section 1, Jen-Ai Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Jusaku Minari
- Department of Biomedical Ethics and Public Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kato
- Department of Biomedical Ethics and Public Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University, Yoshida Ushinomiya-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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Greenbaum D. Grand challenge: ELSI in a changing global environment. Front Genet 2013; 4:158. [PMID: 23990842 PMCID: PMC3744853 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2013.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dov Greenbaum
- Greenbaum Group, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University Lawrence, NY, USA
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McEwen JE, Boyer JT, Sun KY. Evolving approaches to the ethical management of genomic data. Trends Genet 2013; 29:375-82. [PMID: 23453621 PMCID: PMC3665610 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2013.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2012] [Revised: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The ethical landscape in the field of genomics is rapidly shifting. Plummeting sequencing costs, along with ongoing advances in bioinformatics, now make it possible to generate an enormous volume of genomic data about vast numbers of people. The informational richness, complexity, and frequently uncertain meaning of these data, coupled with evolving norms surrounding the sharing of data and samples and persistent privacy concerns, have generated a range of approaches to the ethical management of genomic information. As calls increase for the expanded use of broad or even open consent, and as controversy grows about how best to handle incidental genomic findings, these approaches, informed by normative analysis and empirical data, will continue to evolve alongside the science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean E McEwen
- Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Program, Division of Genomics and Society, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-9305, USA.
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Morrissey C, Walker RL. Funding and Forums for ELSI Research: Who (or What) is Setting the Agenda? AJOB PRIMARY RESEARCH 2012; 3:51-60. [PMID: 22888470 PMCID: PMC3413296 DOI: 10.1080/21507716.2012.678550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Discussion of the influence of money on bioethics research seems particularly salient in the context of research on the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of human genomics, as this research may be financially supported by the ELSI Research Program. Empirical evidence regarding the funding of ELSI research and where such research is disseminated, in relation to the specific topics of the research and methods used, can help to further discussions regarding the appropriate influence of specific institutions and institutional contexts on ELSI and other bioethics research agendas. METHODS: We reviewed 642 ELSI publications (appearing between 2003-2008) for reported sources of funding, forum for dissemination, empirical and non-empirical methods, and topic of investigation. RESULTS: Most ELSI research is independent of direct grant-based funding sources; 66% reported no such sources of funding. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is the most dominant source of funding; 16% of publications acknowledged at least one source of NHGRI grant funding. Funding is acknowledged more frequently in empirical than non-empirical publications, and more frequently in publications in public health journals than in any other ELSI research dissemination forums. Dominant research topics vary by publication forum and by reported funding. CONCLUSIONS: ELSI research is surprisingly independent of direct grant-based funding, yet correlations are apparent between this type of funding and publication placement, topics addressed, and methods used, implying a not insignificant influence on ELSI research agenda-setting. However, given the relatively low percentage of publications acknowledging external grant-based funding, as well as other significant correlations between publication placement and topics addressed, additional institutional contexts, perhaps related to professional advancement or valuation, may shape research agendas in ways that potentially exceed the direct influences of grant-based funding in this area. In some cases, grant-based funding may actually counter other potentially problematic institutional influences.
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