The UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics

The Institute for Society and Genetics (ISG) is unique among American institutions as a platform for teaching and research about problems at the intersection of biology and society. ISG fully integrates medical and life science researchers with those working in social sciences, history, humanities, ethics, and policy. Faculty have training in disciplines of genetics, history, bioethics, medicine, religion, anthropology, evolutionary biology, sociology, biochemistry, genetic counseling, public health, and science and technology studies. The Institute’s research and teaching involves diverse research questions and innovative methods for studying a range of problems that are simultaneously biological, biochemical, social, and political: topics as diverse as antibiotic resistance, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, reproductive technologies, human/animal relations, indigenous knowledge sovereignty, scientific racism, histories of biotechnology, and the naturalization of police and carceral violence. The Institute’s world class faculty are well funded and extremely productive, publishing research articles and books in leading venues, and receiving prestigious global and national awards and media attention. Commitments to diversity, inclusion, equity, and antidiscrimination are woven deeply into all aspects of ISG activities, from professional training and national and campus service, to the content and practice of pedagogy and mentorship, to faculty research programs.

For more information, please visit the ISG website.

Last updated
January 3, 2024