Forensic genetics applied to the social sciences and life sciences was the theme that led to the three days of the International Conference on Contemporary Challenges to Forensic Genetics in Society organized by the CECS Exchange project. In an interview, Helena Machado, coordinator of the project and researcher at CECS, made a positive assessment of the event, as well as announced some ideas for upcoming project events.
In recent years, there has been an expansion of the possibilities offered by human identification provided by forensic genetics, based on the expansion of DNA databases for criminal and civil identification, and technological innovation based on forensic DNA phenotyping and the massive parallel sequencing of genetics forensic. Investigations in social studies have begun to explore the development and implementation of such emerging technologies, societal, scientific, legal and ethical controversies related.
The conference, which ran from November 12 to 14, aimed to bring together and put into dialogue professionals and academics working in these different fields, one of the main objectives being to involve society more broadly in discourses and research activities, providing discursive spaces for debates from multiple perspectives. This means, in particular, exploring good practices that can be applied in governance and policy-making, based on respect for human rights, transparency, and public confidence.
The different panels were attended by specialists from different disciplinary backgrounds – from social sciences, life sciences, police and law studies – and included: current challenges of the transnational exchange of DNA data,, challenges to European Forensic Science, Forensic Genetics and purposes Humanitarian, Privacy and Privacy, Public Engagement, Emerging Technologies, Forensic Genetics and Racism.
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