Science and Justice: Past, Present, and Future
Understanding and connecting STEM and social justice to solve community problems is at the core of Our Future Is Science initiatives. In an October 24th, 2024 talk, Drs. James Doucet-Battle and Cole Allick discuss science and justice intersections.
Dr. James Doucet-Battle is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Co-Director of the Science & Justice Research Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Doucet-Battle has an extensive background in medical anthropology, sociology, science and technology studies (STS), and African Diaspora Studies. His research infuses a growing literature in critical studies of race and bioethics with ethnographic work analyzing health disparities and their remedial projects. He situates his ongoing research agenda along three intersecting lines of investigation: 1) diversity as a scientific and a social problem embedded in structural racism; 2) the unequal conditions of biological and social exchange among and between raced and gendered communities; 3) an examination of genomic resource mapping efforts aimed toward “sub-Saharan” descent communities as part of a larger precision medicine research effort. A key focus of his research platform examines the translational challenges facing genomics researchers and community education outreach efforts towards recruiting individuals and communities of African descent. He is the author of Sweetness in the Blood: Race, Risk, and Type 2 Diabetes (University of Minnesota Press, 2021), which explores the recruitment of African descent groups for cardiometabolic and genomic research. Doucet-Battle’s research contributes to the building of a new field of social scientific inquiry on race and risk, community health, and the cultural economies of science and medicine.
Dr. Cole Allick is a Research Assistant Professor in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and IREACH. He is a proud citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Dr. Allick holds a PhD in Indigenous Health, Master of Health Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Public Administration. He is passionate about working with Elders and is focused on Alzheimer’s disease research and associated topics. Dr. Allick is also very interested in Indigenous research methods, which represent the interplay between outreach/engagement and methods. He is hoping to collaborate with colleagues on the Methods Core and continue to build those skillsets as he creates his own projects. Dr. Allick loves being in community whether it is for a research project or just conversing with Elders or other community members. He finds that being in that space nurtures his soul and allows him to make a more positive space for his collaborators and teammates as they conduct their important work at IREACH. Dr. Allick is an avid volleyball player and weightlifter and loves to travel. When he is not doing those things, he is coaching volleyball or spending time with his friends and family. Dr. Allick is so grateful that his work allows him to travel and collaborate with Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike across the world.
The Community Talk Series is a platform to expose individuals to diverse careers, as well as information, insights, and perspectives on the intersections of STEM disciplines and social justice issues.
This event is organized by Our Future Is Science, an initiative of the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program.