This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to the interdisciplinary field of the
Social Studies of Science and Technology (SSST). Over the past two decades the biomedical
sciences have transformed our understanding of the relationship between the social and natural
worlds while its 'promissory visions' are seen to offer extraordinary opportunities for
economic and social development. But alongside these scientific innovations have emerged new
and frequently unanticipated social political bioethical and legal dilemmas and challenges.
This cutting-edge text explores 'post-genomic' developments in the field of pharmacogenomics
and the prospects for a new 'precision' or personalised medicine the potential of
environmental epigenetics to reconfigure the boundaries of the social and natural worlds the
emergence of an array of 'neuro-disciplines' seeking to identify the neural basis of a whole
range of social and economic behaviours and the challenges of constructing a coherent and
robust governance framework for the conduct of biomedical science research and innovation
responsive to the social and health needs of the whole population.
