Research
My research addresses how stakeholder and public engagement can inform the design and governance of emerging biotechnologies. In particular, I am interested in next-generation genetically engineered organisms that align more closely with public interests than commercial gain. For example, scientists have proposed biotech trees to address forest health, gene drives to eradicate mosquitoes that transmit malaria, and various genetic technologies to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Will these technologies trigger the same kind of organized opposition as first-generation GMOs in agriculture? Can diverse stakeholders impact the development pathways of synthetic biology to embody public values? What forms of engagement will influence decisions during research and development, regulatory review, and deployment, management, and monitoring of emerging technologies?
In the spirit of NC State's motto ,"Think and Do," my research includes both scholarly and practical dimensions. I am committed to contributing to intellectual debates about responsible innovation, public engagement with science and technology, and inclusive governance of shared ecosystems. Simultaneously, my work also seeks to intervene in processes of research, development, and governance of emerging technologies. I organize stakeholders workshops, collaborate with natural scientists and engineers, and participate in interdisciplinary initiatives that influence policy.
Curriculum Vitae List of Publications (compiled by NC State Libraries)
Research Projects
Canker on an American chestnut tree, casued by the fungal blight
Genetically Engineered American Chestnut Tree
Once abundant in forests from Maine to Georgia, the American chestnut tree was rendered functionally extinct by an introduced fungal pathogen in the early 1900s. Using both traditional breeding and genetic engineering, scientists are currently attempting to resurrect viable, evolving American chestnut populations. Scientists at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry supported by the New York Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation, have developed blight-tolerant genetically engineered American chestnut trees by transferring a gene from wheat into the American chestnut genome. The USDA, EPA, and FDA are reviewing their application for de-regulation of what would be the first GE tree designed for forest health.
With the support of the National Science Foundation (SES-1632670), I led a social science team, independent of the scientific development partnership. We analyzed the social, political, and ethical dimensions of this case study and collaborated with the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment to consider indigenous perspectives.
When Biotechnology Goes "Wild": GE Chestnut Trees [podcast] (2022)
Rethinking restoration targets for American chestnut using species distribution modeling (2019)
Forest Health and Biotechnology: Possibilities and Considerations (National Academies Press, 2019)
Biotechnology, the American chestnut tree, and public engagement (workshop report, 2018)
Gene Drives and Synthetic Biology
Gene drives are systems of biased inheritance that create the potential to "drive" a desired engineered trait through a population of sexually-reproducing organisms. This technology has potential applications for public health, conservation, and agriculture. It is a powerful technology that has been tested in the laboratory, but not yet in field trials or full environmental releases. There is much controversy about the potential risks and benefits of gene drives and how they should be governed (also see my collaborator Dr. Sarah Hartley's website on gene drive governance).
I was appointed to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine expert committee to study gene drive in non-human organisms, which produced a report in 2016. I subsequently was appointed to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) task force on synthetic biology and biodiversity conservation, which produced a report that addressed synthetic biology (including gene drives) in 2019. I continue to explore the intersections of synthetic biology, stakeholder and public engagement, agriculture, and conservation.
Exploring the value of a global gene drive project registry (2022)
Public Acceptability and Stakeholder Engagement for Genetic Control Technologies (2022)
Direct and indirect impacts of synthetic biology on biodiversity conservation (2022)
Proceedings of an expert workshop on community agreement for gene drive research in Africa (2021)
Emerging technologies for invasive insects: The role of engagement (2020)
Social license and synthetic biology: The trouble with mining terms (2020)
Core commitments for field trials of gene drive organisms (2020)
Does the US public support using gene drives in agriculture? And what do they want to know? (2019)
Articulating Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for Engineered Gene Drives (2019)
Threshold-Dependent Gene Drives in the Wild: Spread, Controllability, and Ecological Uncertainty (2019)
Genetic Frontiers for Conservation: An assessment of synthetic biology and biodiversity conservation (IUCN, 2019)
Roadmap to Gene Drives: Research and Governance Needs in Social, Political, and Ecological Contexts (special issue of the Journal of Responsible Innovation, 2018)
Gene Drives on the Horizon: Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values (National Academies Press, 2016)
Currently, scientists are attempting to develop a gene drive mouse intended to suppress invasive mouse populations that pose a threat to biodiversity endemic to islands. GBIRd is a partnership of diverse experts from seven world-renowned universities, government, and not-for-profit organizations advancing gene drive research. This partnership has potential to scale up efforts to protect island communities and prevent island species extinctions. I have led efforts on engaging stakeholders during the research and design process of the gene drive mouse. Thus far, these efforts have included conducting interviews for a landscape analysis of stakeholder perspectives and hosting a stakeholder workshop to discuss technological options and future engagement.
