CALL for ABSTRACTS

Genetics, history and public understanding – 3rd International workshop
Barcelona, 30-31 May 2008
Following the successful second workshop in Brno in 2005, this third workshop
will precede the 2008 European Society for Human Genetics meeting, to be held in
Barcelona June 1-3.
This history and public understanding of human genetics workshop will be focused
thematically and includes both historical and contemporary studies on:

Hope, trust and troubled dreams of genetics

Genetics increasingly dominates medical and public thought and practice. The
transformation of genetic medicine from a marginal field in the 1950’s to a core
activity of biomedicine is one of the most interesting developments in modern
science. The rise of the new genetics with its promises and perils does affect
the medical and public perception and communication around health and disease.
The past decade we witness an increase and more intense focus on the genetic and
biological basis for disease. How does this spill over to discussions in both
medical and public spheres and what implications might be visible with regard to
the expectations, trust and concerns regarding genetics and medicine?

Accounting for genetic or hereditary factors in medicine is nothing new in
itself. Since at least the eighteenth century scientists, doctors and patients
have tried to establish links between heredity and disease. The meaning,
visibility and legitimacy of these links have changed over time; from the brave
new world of eugenics to medicine’s 21st century holy grail. Moreover, the
traffic in ideas and practices between science, medicine and the public sphere
has never been one-way but always reciprocal.

Most recently, doctoring healthy people on the basis of their genetic
susceptibility has raised concerns of misuses of genetic information (eg.
stigmatization and discrimination) but has also created new expectations of its
uses and prospective uses in medicine. This invites to questions how
understandings of genetics as a technological and social project have changed
over time?

Goal
The international workshop seeks to address this relatively neglected topic. The
goal is to explore how beliefs, knowledge and practices regarding genetics have
been distributed, exchanged, and co-produced, and to what effect.

Themes
The workshop will be organized around the following three themes: 
1. Organizing public communication and genetic literacy 
2. Public challenges: data sharing, risk and stigma 
3. Understanding genetics as a technological and social project

Call for abstracts
We invite scholars from the fields of genetics, medical and social history,
social medicine, philosophy, medical ethics, anthropology and communication
studies to submit contributions. More details can be obtained from prof. Toine
Pieters (organiser, a.pieters@vumc.nl) or prof. Martina Cornel (co-organiser,
mc.cornel@vumc.nl) 

Programme
Confirmed keynotes by: prof. Celeste Condit (USA) and prof. Allen Hedgecoe (UK)

Programme and Organising committee
• Prof. Ruth Chadwick, director of CESAGen and director of Nowgen's Ethical,
Legal and Social research theme, Lancaster University, UK.
• Prof. Martina Cornel, Community Genetics, VU medical centre, Amsterdam, The
Netherlands (co-organiser)
• Prof, Peter Farndon, Clinical Genetics Unit, Director Genetics Birmingham
Womens Hospital, Birmingham, UK
• Prof. Peter Harper, Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Wales College
of Medicine, Cardiff (honorary member)
• Prof. Toine Pieters, Department of Medical Humanities (Metamedica), VU medical
centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Organiser) 
• Prof. Xavier Roqué Rodriguez, Centre d'Estudis d'Història de les Ciències
(CEHIC), Facultat de Ciències - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona - 08193
Bellaterra (Barcelona) Spain (Local host)
• Dr. María Jesús Santesmases, Departamento de Ciencia, Tecnología y Sociedad,
Instituto de Filosofía, CSIC, Madrid
• Prof. Christos Yapijakis, Department of Neurology, Clinical and Molecular
Neuro-genetics Unit, University of Athens, Greece

    
 
Spoken and Poster Presentations
 	The Programme Committee invites abstracts or sessions to be considered for
inclusion in the two-day programme. Abstracts can be submitted only online on
the website. Submission will be open from the beginning of November 2007. 
 
Important
 	Please note that you may be co-author of any number of abstracts, but first
(i.e. presenting) author of only one abstract.
 
Deadline for Abstract Submission: 
 	 Friday, February 1, 2008, 24.00 hrs CET.
 	 
Guidelines for Online-Abstract Submission
 	Please read the instructions carefully. 
Abstract Format
• The text cannot exceed 250 words, excluding title and authors. 
• Tables may be included, however 25 words will be added to the word count for
each table. 
• No graphics are allowed.

Before you get started...
Type your abstract in a common Word Processor (e.g. MS Word). 
When sending the file to a.pieters@vumc.nl make sure you get a return-mail.
 
 	 
General Information on Abstract Submission 
 	Attention: 
• All correspondence regarding the acceptance of your abstract will be mailed to
the address given by you in the abstract. Please provide a working email
address.
•  Changes and withdrawals can be made until the deadline of February 1, 2008.
• The organiser and chairman of the programme committee will let you know by
March 30, 2008 whether or not your abstract is accepted for plenary presentation
or as a poster presentation. 
	Venue 
For practical reasons the international workshop will take place in the same
conference building as the European Human Genetics Conference 
CCIB
Centre Convenicions Internacional Barcelona
Rambla Prim 1-17 
08019 Barcelona
Spain
We are currently in the process of organizing the registration for the
international workshop. We keep you posted about the registration procedure. 

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