For over three decades, the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program has advanced scholarship on the ELSI of genetics and genomics. The ELSI Congress brings together scholars who are dedicated to understanding and shaping the impact of genomic science on society, and to share research, exchange ideas, and influence the future of the field.
We welcome submissions from all disciplines and methodologies that reflect the wide spectrum of ELSI research, including but not limited to:

• Emerging technologies
• Policy and governance
• Theoretical and conceptual foundations
• Lived experience
• Methodological innovation
• Translation to clinical care

This call is open to scholarship that deepens understanding, sparks conversation, or proposes solutions to pressing ELSI concerns. We especially welcome contributions that engage a wide range of perspectives to inform current ELSI work and shape its future directions. Submissions from early career scholars and trainees are also encouraged.

Since the 7th ELSI Congress will be a hybrid event, if traveling isn’t possible, we encourage you to join us online.

Please visit the Congress website [https://www.elsicon2026.org] to learn more about session formats, abstract submission requirements, and criteria that will be used to evaluate abstracts.

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This year’s Forum will bring together distinguished leaders to explore how science, medicine, and policy can guide society through today’s complex challenges while strengthening public trust. Featured speakers include:

• The Honorable Alex Azar II, formerly US Department of Health and Human Services
• Giselle Corbie, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
• Karen DeSalvo, formerly Google
• Mark McClellan, Duke University
• John Nkengasong, Mastercard Foundation
• Elias Zerhouni, OPKO Health, Inc.

In-person attendees are invited to join a reception immediately following the Forum.

Cost: $50

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND TO REGISTER FOR EVENT

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Since its creation in 1990, NHGRI’s Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program has supported a large body of empirical, analytical and conceptual research to anticipate and address the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics. ELSI research addresses the new and sometimes unexpected ways that genomics interacts with many aspects of daily life, from how healthcare is designed and delivered to the ways individuals, families and communities understand such basic concepts as belonging and what it means to be human.

The ELSI Research Program has fostered a large multi-disciplinary community of researchers addressing a wide range of topics. The NHGRI sponsors a biennial meeting—the ELSI Congress—to bring together those with an interest in the ELSI of genomics.  Researchers, scholars, practitioners, trainees, policymakers, journalists, and the general public are invited to share and explore the latest ELSI research.

This U13 award will support three ELSI Congresses, to be held in 2026, 2028 and 2030. Henderson and team (Jean Cadigan, Kriste Kuczynski, and Margaret Waltz) will be responsible for developing a robust process for invitation, submission, review, and selection of abstracts as part of the conference programming process. In addition, they will select venues, publicize the conference, and archive presentations. The 2026 ELSI Congress will be held June 22-24, 2026, at the Friday Conference Center in Chapel Hill, NC. Please watch the UNC Center for the ELSI of Biotechnology website for more information as it becomes available.

The post Dr. Gail Henderson Receives $1 Million NHGRI Grant to Host 3 Biennial Conferences appeared first on Department of Social Medicine.

Dr. Chakraborty is an epidemiologist whose research focuses on understanding the impact of structural marginalization (e.g., discriminatory policies, restrictive reproductive health policies) on disparities in sexual and reproductive health outcomes in various populations. Her research spans topics across the reproductive justice spectrum.

To read more about Dr. Chakraborty, CLICK HERE!

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Click to read more!

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The Center for Thriving Communities, co-directed by Giselle Corbie and Gaurav Dave, brings together community wisdom and research expertise to discover what helps people thrive where they live. Research staff and faculty work side-by-side with community members to understand what’s working and what’s getting in the way of health and wellbeing. Together, these multidisciplinary teams develop practical solutions that create opportunities for all communities to flourish. This partnership approach helps make real progress toward better health for everyone. The center also provides expertise and research support services through its core facility, Abacus Evaluation.

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Dr. Walker’s new book, Of Mice and Primates (Oxford University Press 2025), reorients our moral concern about animal research, and offers a moral theory focused on what actually happens in research settings.

The post Rebecca Walker Publishes New Book appeared first on Department of Social Medicine.

In addition to her role, Dr. Buchbinder is professor of social medicine and adjunct professor of anthropology at UNC, as well as a core faculty member in the UNC Center for Bioethics.

A medical anthropologist with broad interests in cultures of health, illness, and medicine in the United States, her recent work focuses on how patients, families, and healthcare providers navigate social and ethical challenges resulting from changes in medical technology, law, and health policy.

Dr. Buchbinder is currently the co-principal investigator of CORE-ICU: Clinical and Organizational Resilience in the ICU, an NHLBI R01 study that will investigate how organizational factors contribute to burnout in ICU clinicians and adverse outcomes in patients with acute respiratory failure. She is also the co-principal investigator of a NIOSH R01 study that investigates mental health and work-related wellbeing among obstetrician-gynecologists in a shifting policy environment.

She will assume the role from Jonathan Oberlander, PhD, who announced last fall he was stepping down as chair at the end of his second five-year term as chair.

Congratulations to Dr. Buchbinder on her new role and thank you to Dr. Oberlander for his years leading the department.

Buchbinder Announced as Chair of Social Medicine

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