Conference Title: Personalizing Medicine Here and Now: Empirical studies of post-genomic medicine

Location: Chemical Heritage Foundation, 315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA

On May 6th & 7th, 2010, the annual Gordon Cain Conference on Industry & Governance will be held at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF). We will explore the multiple meanings, practices and facets of personalized medicine. The keynote, featuring Sheila Jasanoff, Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies (STS), Harvard Kennedy School (Title: “Bill of Rights or Bill of Goods? – The Promises of Personalized Medicine”), will be held on Thursday evening (May 6th) followed by a reception for all attendees.

Personalized medicine discussions are often focused on future scenarios and projected dangers. Conference speakers will challenge participants to engage with what’s happening now rather than what might happen in a more or less distant future. The program includes scholars from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan who will present empirical analysis of actual practices.

Day 1 will begin with a session on direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomics followed by the keynote and reception. Day 2 will begin with the session on clinical research and work. The second session of the day will explore whether and how personalized medicine contributes to the reshaping of identities. The last session will examine issues related to the socio-technical regulation of the practices that fall under the rubric of personalized medicine, as analyzed in the preceding sessions. The conference will conclude with a commentary from Bruno J. Strasser (Department of History, Yale University).

More details, including the schedule, speakers’ information, and abstracts, are now posted on our website. The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. For more information and to register online, please visit our website:

http://www.chemheritage.org/events/cain10/index.html.

For additional information concerning conference content, please contact:

Pei Koay

Program Manager, Biotech History and Policy

Center for Contemporary History and Policy

Chemical Heritage Foundation

215-873-8227

[email protected]

Alberto Cambrosio

Gordon Cain Conference Fellow, 2009-10

Chair, Social Studies of Medicine

McGill University

514-398-4981

[email protected]

For logistical information, please contact:

Nancy Vonada

Manager of Events and Stewardship

Chemical Heritage Foundation

Phone: 215-873-8226

Fax: 215-629-5226

[email protected]