Although we cannot disclaim the utility of genetic data, it is important to consider whether we are being socially and governmentally coerced to relinquish our genetic data. If so, what does this mean for privacy and discrimination? What are the obstacles and potential solutions to securing genetic data?
Background papers:
– Genetic Data and Civil Rights
– Genetic Testing Meets Big Data
Ifeoma Ajunwa is a PhD Candidate (ABD) and a Paul F. Lazersfeld Fellow. She received her MPhil in Sociology from Columbia University. Her undergraduate studies were completed at UC Davis where she was a McNair Scholar. She was the recipient of the AAUW Selected Professions Fellowship in law school after which she practiced business law, international law, and intellectual property law. She was most recently a Microsoft Research-NYC Research Intern.
Ms. Ajunwa’s writing has been published or is forthcoming in top law reviews, such as the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review and the Fordham Law Review, etc. She is currently preparing articles for submission to sociology and business/management journals. Ms. Ajunwa’s writing has also been published in the NY Times, the HuffingtonPost, and she has been interviewed for Uptown Radio in NYC. She has been invited to present her work at several national conferences, such as the American Sociological Association, (ASA), Eastern Sociological Society (ESS), and Law and Society Association (LSA), etc. She is an active member of the Academy of Management (AoM), the American Sociological Association (ASA), and the Law and Society Association (LSA).
About Databites
Data & Society’s “Databites” speaker series presents timely conversations about the purpose and power of technology, bridging our interdisciplinary research with broader public conversations about the societal implications of data and automation.