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Events

SCI Project Showcase Series: Gene Drive Mosquitoes

Sarah Hartley will show a short film and discuss her SCI-funded project with Chris Opesen.

Gene drive mosquitoes is a short documentary film that is beautifully shot in Uganda and explores Ugandan stakeholders’ hopes for gene drive mosquitoes – a radical new tool that offers a way to eliminate the mosquitoes that cause malaria. Uganda could be one of the first countries in the world to release this type of technology and malaria is the main cause of death in Uganda, so the stakes are high. The film builds on social science research at the University of Exeter and Makerere University in Uganda and shows the complexity of governing this technology. Following the film, Chris Opesen (Makerere University, Uganda) and Sarah Hartley (Exeter) will answer questions and facilitate discussion. Chris will also be available to talk about other global health topics he is working on. Funding to bring Chris to Exeter is from the Exeter’s Sub-Saharan Africa Partnership Development Fund. Film producers: Sarah Hartley and Tom Law (@tomlawsays).


Event details

To watch the trailer for Gene Drive Mosquitoes, please click here.

Please note, there will also be a screening of this film at the Exeter Phoenix on Monday 29th April. To register for this screening and to find out more, please click here.

Speaker Bios

Professor Sarah Hartley:

As Professor of Technology Governance, I’m concerned with the decisions that shape how technology is funded, developed, regulated, tested, and deployed – which determine technology trajectories. My social science research takes a critical look at the politics and power in these governance decisions, particularly in efforts to open-up these expert spaces to diverse knowledge, values and visions through engagement and knowledge co-production – features that have become prevalent in technology governance in recent years. I’m particularly interested in the value tensions that exist in and between society and science when governance decisions are opened up and, importantly, how to manage these tensions more effectively. I focus on the development and risk assessment of emerging technologies, particularly the biotechnologies (gene drive, genome-editing, genetic modification of animals, especially insects) and AL/digital technology applications in environment and agriculture. I am also Co-Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Environmental Intelligence.

Registration

To register for this event, please complete this short Microsoft Form.

Location:

Digital Humanities Seminar Room 1