Scholars in the interdisciplinary field of science and technology studies (STS) examine knowledge production, scientific practices, and therapeutics in social and cultural context. At UCSC, STS scholars analyze the symbolic dimensions and representational practices of global and community health; …
Bioethics
The field of bioethics developed in the 1960s as a response to a lack of accountability around the use of human and animal subjects in scientific research. Today, bioethics encompasses a broad range of perspectives. These range from contemporary public policy issues (such as the ethics of gene …
Gut Microbiome
The collection of microbes that resides in the human intestine profoundly influences our metabolism, our immune system, and our susceptibility to infections. The hundreds of thousands of genes in the genomes of these microbes are attractive targets for therapeutic intervention because they are …
Racial Justice
Recent years have highlighted the perennial challenge of achieving racial justice in US society and more globally. Racial justice seeks to effect institutional change in providing equality of access, opportunities, and outcomes irrespective of phenotypical classifications and categories. These …
Sustainable Food
The global food system is now facing the need to deliver a sustainable supply of nutritious food for more than 9 billion people by 2050 while minimizing environmental impacts, sustaining biodiversity and adapting to climate crisis. UCSC faculty are researching agroecological strategies and methods …
Agroecology
Agroecology is the integrative study of the entire food system, encompassing ecological, economic and social dimensions. In order to create an ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially just food system, agroecology must integrate science and research, technology and practices, indigenous …
Child & Youth Health
Child and youth health includes physical well-being as well as social and emotional health, all of which are integral for positive academic outcomes. UCSC faculty are especially interested in schools as the primary institutions in the US that serve children and youth in ways that can promote good …
Women’s Health
Gender inequities in health prevail in most countries throughout the world, despite ongoing attempts to eliminate them. Across the globe, prospects for good health among women are limited by social norms, practices, and policies that are rooted in gender discrimination and bias. The 1985 United …
Stigma
Stigma, comprising negative attitudes or beliefs ascribed to certain attributes and characteristics, is also closely associated with discrimination in ways that commonly undermine health in stigmatized people. Stigma and discrimination have impacts across the health care continuum, impeding access …
