Invigorating ELSI: reflexive approaches to enhance policy development

Tadafumi Kubota; Aviad Raz; Jusaku Minari

doi:10.1016/j.tig.2025.05.006

Invigorating ELSI: reflexive approaches to enhance policy development

Trends Genet. 2025 Jun 18:S0168-9525(25)00126-X. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2025.05.006. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Tadafumi Kubota¹, Aviad Raz², Jusaku Minari³

Affiliations

¹ Uehiro Research Division for iPS Cell Ethics, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: tadafumi.kubota@cira.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
² Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.
³ Uehiro Research Division for iPS Cell Ethics, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: jusaku.minari@cira.kyoto-u.ac.jp.

PMID: 40533325
DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2025.05.006

Abstract

For 35 years, the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research Program has addressed the societal implications of genomic research. However, its policy impact remains controversial. Here, we propose practical approaches for enhancing its policy impact by leveraging sociological studies on technology and critical arguments raised by ELSI scholars themselves.

Keywords: ELSI Research Program; design; engineering; ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI); policy engagement; research and policy.