Ruth Horn

Researcher in residence at the Maison Suger from August to September 2026

Ruth Horn works on ethical questions raised by medical practices and new technologies in different socio-cultural contexts. Her research is at the intersection between sociology, bioethics and law/social policy. She has developed a comparative empirical bioethics approach to understand how ethical problems arise and are addressed in practice (e.g. clinical settings) where ethically sensitive decisions are made. Her research focuses on ethical questions related to genomic medicine, and in particular to reproductive genetics.

The project

Title: (In)equity in the context of large-scale genomic programmes

"To achieve the full potential of genomic medicine and ensure that large-scale genomic programmes are beneficial to all citizens, continuous effort is required to reduce existing and new health inequities in the realm of genomic medicine. This requires taking into full account communities deprived of equitable access to genomic medicine regarding a number of aspects: representative and diverse genetic data resources; access to adequate genomic testing/diagnoses and healthcare; continuous social security safety net during and after treatment; extended family care if needed; lifespan care and follow-up in tandem with new genomic discoveries. In our new manuscript which is based on the discussions of our latest UK-FR-D Genomics and Ethics Network workshop, Jennifer Merchant (Assas University) and I, will explore various aspects of in-/equity that emerge within the context of large-scale genomics programmes, and the benefits or shortcomings these imply for all groups of society, including marginalised groups."

Hosting institution: Centre d'Études et de Recherches de Sciences Administratives et Politiques (CERSA) - Université Panthéon-Assas