Individualised Medicine and the National Genome
Christof’s postdoctoral research examines the mutual shaping of genomic medicine and the state. It starts from the observation of two tensions. Firstly, genomic medicine promises individualised care, but its development and application depend on measurements of kinship and constructions of genomic collectives. Secondly, genomic research is embedded in global networks of science but depends on funding by national governments. Looking at the state-sponsored ‘National GeneBank’ and ‘Precision Medicine Initiative’ in China, Christof asks how genomic medicine shapes (and is shaped by) negotiations of belonging to the state.