Overarching Projects Social dimensions of bio-nano interactions Leader: Associate Professor Matthew Kearnes Co-Leader: Dr Declan Kuch Collaborating organisations/groups: Professor Stephen Kent (UoM), Professor Justin Gooding, Associate Professor Orazio Vittorio and Professor Maria Kavallaris AM (UNSW), Professor Kris Thurecht and Professor Rob Parton (UQ), Dr Angus Johnston (Monash)
The project
Activities undertaken in 2019
Bio-nano technologies, together with advances in precision and personalised medicine, are likely to profoundly change health care practices. By exploring the social dimensions of research across this area of work, in collaboration with key CBNS research initiatives, this program will provide insights into the societal dimensions of predictive bio-nanotechnologies. This project seeks to address key questions related to the intersection between big data, healthcare, personalised and precision medicines, and regulation. The proposed program of work will entail the use of the following social science methodologies, and will be facilitated by a range of cross-node collaborations.
Events • Coordinated the research symposium: Biomedical Futures: Values, Responsibility, Critical Engagement in Nanotechnology and Electromaterials, a collaboration between the CBNS & the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES).
These methods include: • Social media monitoring and analysis tools (using tools such as NodeXL) will enable issue mapping of the institutional and discursive shaping of research agendas in precision, and personalised medicine; • Ethnographic observation: close analysis of science-inpractice will serve to document the imagined social worlds that underpin developments in bio-nanotechnology, focusing specially on CBNS research projects; • Interdisciplinary exchange workshops will bring CBNS researchers into conversations with researchers working in the social sciences, humanities and law to explore the broader social dimensions of their work; Targeted public engagement initiatives will also form part of the work plan of the program, enabling Centre researchers to address the societal dimensions of their research in appropriately designed and facilitated public forums.
Research Research for the social dimensions signature project was enabled by a series of research collaborations across CBNS. These include ongoing research exploring the Enhanced Permeability and Retention (EPR) effect, the visualisation of nanoscale interactions, the use of nanoparticles in the development of vaccines, and the social and ethical dimensions of organoids and lab-on-a-chip systems.
Value Characterising the sociological dimensions of research in bio-nano science and technology has broad importance for the general public and societal understanding and acceptance of bio-nano science applications in the real world.
24 CBNS Annual Report 2019
This symposium included presentations from CBNS researchers CI Associate Professor John McGhee, Dr Declan Kuch, and Associate Professor Matthew Kearnes (UNSW) alongside prominent HASS researchers exploring the social and ethical dimensions of nanotechnology and novel technologies Professor Susan Dodds (La Trobe University) and Dr Eliza Goddard (La Trobe University). • Coordinated the Social Aspects & Regulation stream at the 10th International Nanomedicine Conference June, 2019, including keynote presentation from Professor Rachel Ankeny (University of Adelaide) on Animal Models in Biomedicine: Past, Present, and Future Directions. Policy Engagement • Invited contribution on ‘Agricultural Nanotechnologies, Public Engagement and Regulation’ for the Future of Agricultural Technologies Project Horizon Scanning Project, Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA). Publications • Publications in Science, Technology & Human Values, Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, Policy Studies and a forthcoming research monograph manuscript on based on research conducted in collaboration with CBNS.
Activities planned for 2020 A series of research events will be coordinated throughout 2020, including a CBNS workshop on ‘responsible innovation’ and new methodologies for responding to questions pertaining to the social aspects of bio-nano research.
