Ethical, legal and social contexts in genomics: workshop report and forward look
This report outlines the findings and recommendations from Wellcome's 'Ethical, Legal and Social Contexts in Genomics' workshop series.
It highlights the current barriers to collaboration between researchers in genomics, humanities and social sciences and wider stakeholders. And recommends strategies to enable transformative, transdisciplinary discovery research that could drive substantial health and societal benefits.
Report at a glance
This report has been commissioned and authored by the Wellcome Trust.
- Published:
- 31 March 2025
- Strategic programme:
- What's inside:
- Key opportunities for deeper collaboration between researchers in genomics, humanities and social sciences and wider stakeholders; mechanisms to drive collaboration and discovery research.
- Who this is for:
- Funders, the research community and wider stakeholders
- Creative commons:
Summary
The field of genomics is rapidly developing and having profound implications on society. As genomics integrates with cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, it promises revolutionary healthcare benefits but also poses significant ethical, legal and social challenges.
The 'Ethical, Legal and Social Contexts in Genomics' workshops aimed to explore the potential of transdisciplinary collaboration in this space by bringing together international experts across various fields and practices.
The report highlights key barriers to collaboration, such as logistical challenges and power dynamics, and identifies opportunities for innovative research. By achieving the vision outlined in this report, we can establish an approach to build collaborations that enable research that is ethical and inclusive. And stimulate bold new questions, methodologies and approaches which better lays the groundwork for wider health and social impacts.
Key findings
Barriers to collaboration
- Logistical challenges such as limited resources and competing priorities.
- Political issues like power imbalances and exclusion of diverse voices.
- Epistemic differences involving varied knowledge systems, methods and collaboration priorities.
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Recommendations
Based on the learnings from the workshops, initial priorities are to:
- explore funding models that promote earlier, sustained collaboration and innovation in genomics research to develop networks and novel research agendas
- develop a 'critical questions' toolkit to facilitate seamless collaboration across the research lifecycle
Conclusion
The report underscores the transformative potential of bringing together researchers in genomics, humanities and social sciences, and wider stakeholders. To realise this, we need to foster early-stage collaboration and transdisciplinary partnerships.
By enabling diverse collaborations we lay the groundwork for innovative discovery research programmes. Key actions at Wellcome include early-stage funding to incentivise collaboration and develop the evidence base for the benefit of this approach, and the development of a critical question toolkit to support earlier and sustained collaboration.
Quotes
"This new kind of earlier, deeper collaboration will require a significant culture shift, necessitating new methods and concepts for working productively together."
“Upstream, fully integrated collaboration throughout the research lifecycle is an underexplored approach with huge potential for challenging assumptions; developing skills, methods, theories and concepts; and ultimately opening new fields.”
“Together, we can enable a shift in how transdisciplinary research in genomics and its wider social, ethical and legal contexts are imagined and drive transformative health and social impacts in future.”
Contact us
For more information, contact Wellcome's Discovery Research team at
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