Science, Policy and Public Representations of the Benefits, Risks and Governance of Nanotechnologies |
The research team
The trajectory of nanotechnology development will play out differently in different contexts. Scientists, policymakers and publics in different societies will respond to nanotechnologies according to their own perceived interests and investments in the field, broad politico-economic factors, and experiences of past technology developments.
Alan Petersen is Professor of Sociology in the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University in Melbourne. Previously he was Professor of Sociology at Plymouth University, in the UK. He is also an Honorary Visiting Professor at City University in London. He has a long-standing interest in the sociology of health and illness, and in the contexts and implications of new technologies, particularly biomedical technologies. His recent work has focused on the impact of the new genetics on public health and preventive medicine and on the representations of nanotechnologies. His recent books include:
1. The Body in Question: A Socio-Cultural Approach (Routledge, 2007)
2. Health, Risk and Vulnerability (Routledge, 2007) (co-edited with Iain Wilkinson)
3. Biobanks: Governance in Comparative Perspective (Routledge, In press) (co-edited with Herbert Gottweis)
