My research focuses on science, technology and society (STS), governance of science and public participation. My current research is developing in two directions: 1. Taiwan Biobank, scientific governance and public participation: The current project is the continuation of my research on the governance of science and the mechanism of public participation of Taiwan Biobank. I will examine participants’ expectations and understandings of Taiwan Biobank, their interpretations of why they join Taiwan Biobank, and their imaginaries of biological citizenship such as individual/collective autonomy, commercial applications, benefit sharing, and genetic privacy. 2. Genetic testing, health governance, and biopolitics This project is concerned with commercial services of genetic testing (Direct-to-Consumer genetic testing) under the development of precision medicine in the post-genomic era. In comparison to the state governance of future healthy population expressed through the scientific recruitment of national genetic databases, I will explore the operation logic of individual choice, construction of subjectivity and health governance displayed in the discourses and practices of commercial genetic testing services My research will address the following questions: what is the underlying logic for an individual to take a genetic testing as an option for future health governance? who can interpret the reports of genetic testing? how are the reports interpreted? And what are the follow-up actions for consumers (for instance whether or not to change their lifestyle based on the reports)? How might genetic testing as a mediating technology for defining health and illness shape upcoming professional medical networks (such as the emergence of genetic counselors and their positions and roles in medicine)?
