reimagining life science

Life science research, like any human endeavor, cannot be dissociated from the context of society, people and the culture within which it is practiced. Bringing such context within scientific practice is one of my interests. This interest has taken the form of teaching, and curating events and discussions.

 

 

Responsible Conduct in Biomedical Research aka BIO664
Instructor
Lausanne, Switzerland
2009-2016
As a required course for first year PhD students in bioengineering, the objective is to provide students with the overview of necessary tools for enhancing their ethical decision-making skills in scientific research within the contemporary social context, by increasing the students’ knowledge of relevant ethical issues through exposure to real-life case studies and through interactive discussion and role playing.

Since 2009, I have refocused the class from a reaction to current scientific landscapes,

to imagining a fully engaging scientific community, with critical discussions on the changes that must be implemented in the research environments in life sciences.

We also address the great potential of cutting-edge biologically derived technologies, and the power dynamics they induce in science and society.

The topics we have been covering -open access, re-configuration of the academic research structure, and non-academic scientific practice- have matured into the public discourse of life scientists today.
The following topics are introduced in a 2-day Workshop format:
  • Overview of Responsible Conduct
  • Record Keeping
  • Misconduct
  • Whistle-blowing
  • Mentoring
  • Collaboration
  • Authorship, Reviewer Process, and Scientific Publishing
  • Confidentiality
  • Competition
  • Conflict of Interest
  • Industry and Academia
  • Intellectual Property, Patents and Technology Transfer
  • Open Science
  • Protection of Human Subjects
  • Privacy and Ownership (Genetic databases, Cell and Organ donations)
  • Science and the public (Media relations, art and science, synthetic biology, future of science, DIYbio)
Resources are available on the class moodle.

 

 

subtletechnologies_bannersubtletechnologies
Art and Science Festival – Co-chair, Curator
Toronto, Canada
2005 – 2008The festival founded in 1998, investigates the artistic relationships and collaborations between artists and scientists within the realms of art, science and technology, or as stated in their words, “forge[d] new ground as a public forum and platform for makers and thinkers working at the nexus of art, science and technology”.

A rejected proposal sent to the Architectural League of New York became my introduction to the subtle technologies festival, whose theme for the upcoming year was coincidentally, Responsive Architectures.

Together with Philip Beesley (2006) and Jim Ruxton (2006, 2007), we curated the festival programming, including the symposia and workshops, festival logistics and organization.

subtletechnologies.com
http://delicious.com/subtletechnologies (festival presenters can be found by searching subtletechnologies2006, subtletechnologies2007)

PUBLICATIONS:
Hirosue, S., J. Ruxton, L. Salomé, C. Turner, V. Verkeley Eds. [in situ] art • body • medicine: Subtle Technologies 2007. Coach House Press, Toronto. Subtech07_book

Beesley, P., S. Hirosue, J. Ruxton, M. Tränkle, C. Turner Eds. Responsive Architectures: Subtle Technologies 2006. Riverside Architectural Press, Cambridge, 2006. ISBN: 978-0978097806 Subtech06 book (amazon)

Science Art Society Reading and Discussion Group
Founder and Moderator
New York, NY
2003-2005Spurred by the grand celebration of the Human Genome Project and a not so by-gone memory of the exhibition Paradise Now at Exit Art (2000), which featured mainly the extremes: the Franken-horror of genetically modified organisms, or the open-arms embrace of the Genetic Message – genes as code, a small group of artists, architects, scientists, gathered periodically to critically discuss concepts in contemporary science as it relates to society, salon-style.

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