Poster Number
12
Poster Title
Driving discovery by enabling transdisciplinary collaboration around genomics and its contexts
Authors
Paul Meller, Peter Kilroy, Urszula Pawlicka-Deger, Helena RR Wells (Discovery Research programme at the Wellcome Trust)
Abstract
Background: The importance of social, ethical and legal work for guiding ethical, inclusive genomics research and related practices is widely acknowledged. Less recognised is the underexplored potential for the intersection between genomics, humanities and social science, and wider societal partners (including industry, policymakers, and communities) to yield new research avenues and discoveries. The ‘Ethical, legal and Social contexts in Genomics’ workshops aimed to explore the opportunities conferred by transdisciplinary collaboration in this space, as well as current barriers and enabling mechanisms.
Approach: In 2024, Wellcome hosted a workshop series involving over 70 international experts from 27 countries, spanning fields such as genomics, ethics, humanities, law, and social sciences. The workshops were co-developed with participants.
Findings: Participants indicated that different types of interdisciplinary collaboration around genomics and its contexts could yield different opportunities: practical collaboration around narrow topics, including data sovereignty, consent practices, and benefit sharing, could lead to more responsible, equitable genomics; collaborations exploring political dynamics across disciplines and geographies could unlock broader, critical perspectives on the implications of genomics; while early, deep integration of transdisciplinary partners to conceptualise new research questions and collaborate closely throughout the research lifecycle could generate new research avenues, approaches and technologies, opening fields and unlocking innovation. Logistical, political, and epistemic barriers to collaboration were highlighted, including competing priorities; limited resources, incentives and interaction opportunities; power disparities; exclusionary practices; and incongruous knowledge systems, languages, methodologies, and concepts. Participants recommended developing dedicated infrastructure, networks, resources, funding and training to address these challenges, enabling underexplored areas of collaboration.
Conclusions: Unlocking the transformative potential of transdisciplinary collaboration around genomics and its contexts demands a significant culture shift. Wellcome are taking early steps to help, developing networking opportunities, seed funding and resources to support new collaborations. Other funders, researchers, and stakeholders are encouraged join the transdisciplinary movement towards discovery.
Approach: In 2024, Wellcome hosted a workshop series involving over 70 international experts from 27 countries, spanning fields such as genomics, ethics, humanities, law, and social sciences. The workshops were co-developed with participants.
Findings: Participants indicated that different types of interdisciplinary collaboration around genomics and its contexts could yield different opportunities: practical collaboration around narrow topics, including data sovereignty, consent practices, and benefit sharing, could lead to more responsible, equitable genomics; collaborations exploring political dynamics across disciplines and geographies could unlock broader, critical perspectives on the implications of genomics; while early, deep integration of transdisciplinary partners to conceptualise new research questions and collaborate closely throughout the research lifecycle could generate new research avenues, approaches and technologies, opening fields and unlocking innovation. Logistical, political, and epistemic barriers to collaboration were highlighted, including competing priorities; limited resources, incentives and interaction opportunities; power disparities; exclusionary practices; and incongruous knowledge systems, languages, methodologies, and concepts. Participants recommended developing dedicated infrastructure, networks, resources, funding and training to address these challenges, enabling underexplored areas of collaboration.
Conclusions: Unlocking the transformative potential of transdisciplinary collaboration around genomics and its contexts demands a significant culture shift. Wellcome are taking early steps to help, developing networking opportunities, seed funding and resources to support new collaborations. Other funders, researchers, and stakeholders are encouraged join the transdisciplinary movement towards discovery.
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