The societal dimensions of science and new scientific discoveries are always critical to address. Life sciences has generated a whole new set of issues and questions for the 21st century.

Why are we exploring genetic engineering?
When is the right time to use genetic data?
What are the repercussions?
Who owns the information?
How do we decide what's ethical?
Where is life sciences taking us?

As the biorevolution accelerates, social and ethical issues will continue to demand careful consideration. New issues will arise from many directions, sometimes in ways that cannot be anticipated, and they will generate controversy. These issues will be intellectually challenging, theoretically interesting, practically important, and publicly visible.

Not only does Cornell possess strength in the relevant genome sciences, but it has a longstanding commitment to the study of social and ethical aspects of science and technology. By making an early commitment to building capacity in the humanistic and social dimensions of genomics, Cornell will enable its faculty, students, and other community members to make important contributions to advancing knowledge in this area.

The Ethical, Social, and Legal Issues committee was established at Cornell to integrate discussions of the ethical and social implications of life sciences research more fully into the Cornell research and teaching community.

Faculty from areas such as policy analysis and management, law, biology, and philosophy contribute to this well-rounded effort to address, and encourage discussions about, issues related to the new knowledge and new technologies that evolve out of life sciences research.