ACADEMIC WORKS

1. Journal Article (selected)

Jusaku Minari, Kyle B. Brothers and Michael Morrison
Tensions in ethics and policy created by National Precision Medicine Programs
Human Genomics, 12:22 (2018).
Precision medicine promises to use genomics and other data-intensive approaches in order to improve diagnosis and develop new treatments for major diseases, but also raises various ethical and governance challenges. This paper considers national precision medicine programs from the USA, the UK, and Japan, where we discussed how each national strategy has dealt with these challenges and what this reveals about their strengths and limitations.
*This article has been selected in the section of ‘Recommended Reading‘ on Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Workshop of ‘All of Us Research Program’ (through National Institutes of Health, NIH), held on June 24-25, 2019 in the US.

Jusaku Minari
Lessons from ‘ISLE’: Generativity, solidarity and creativity (in Japanese)
Shima (Islands), 253: 58-61 (2018).
We have learnt through ISLE project how arts and design can not only facilitate the revitalisation of islands but also provoke heated debate on a local scale. Key aspects for the debate are, (1) generativity – concern over guiding the next generation of islanders; (2) solidarity – sharing a strong sense of living together on the island; and (3) creativity – willingness to create new values for the future island.

Go Yoshizawa
The possibility of an island: Arts, life and science (in Japanese)
Shima (Islands), 253: 61-65 (2018).
In the age of Anthropocene, science fiction and dark tourism become more critical instruments for positive public engagement with social implications of science. In this sense, both arts and islands have great potential to make us aware of the association between our daily life and emerging biotechnologies and co-create the nature/society for our desirable futures.

Aiko Hibino, Go Yoshizawa and Jusaku Minari Meaning of Ambiguity: A Japanese Survey on Synthetic Biology and Genome Editing
Frontiers in Sociology, 4:81 (2019).
This study examined ambiguity in public perception about emerging biotechnologies through the use of several intermediate response options in a survey. The results suggest that public views are more diverse and nuanced than those obtained from conventional public surveys for policy making.

2. CONFERENCE (selected)

Jusaku Minari
Biomedical ethics and policy on emerging biomedical technologies
The 2018 4S (Society for Social Studies of Science) Conference in Sydney, September 1, 2018.
Emerging biomedical technologies, such as genome sequencing and genome editing, are increasingly becoming a hot topic for debate across the world. Not only scientific approaches but also social and policy approaches should play key roles particularly in balancing effective scientific advancement and protection of (local) social values. Reflecting on recent experiences in Japan, this presentation showed biomedical ethics and policy on these emerging biomedical technologies.

Go Yoshizawa and Jusaku Minari
Mobilising Publics: Governing Biodesign Technologies (Proceedings only)
International Association of Societies of Design Research Conference (IASDR) 2019, September 2-5, 2019.
By creating a new mobile, tangible, and approachable design product to speculate and explore uncertain futures as well as ambiguous ethical issues related to biodesign technologies, our project mobilised both human participants and biomaterials, (social) media services, exhibition spaces, and the culture and environment of Sado Island. Considering the future governance of biodesign technologies allowed us to blur and transgress the boundaries between nature and artefact and between designers and the designed.

Nariyoshi Shinomiya collaborating with Jusaku Minari and Go Yoshizawa
Cutting Edge Life Science and Dual Use Issues: How Should We Have a Dialogue with Society?
The 2018 BWC (Biological Weapons Convention) Meetings of Experts, August 9-10, 2018.
This presentation has described advantages and disadvantages of synthetic biology and genome editing, pointing out significant gaps between their research communities and the public, and introduced ongoing activities of this project, involving a pop-up book with cartoons about gene drives, and nature-oriented and technology-oriented images of our living world.

Satoshi Kodama
Genome Editing in Japan: A Bioethical Perspective
The Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing, Hong Kong, November 27-29, 2018.
This presentation explained Japan’s regulatory framework concerning genome editing in human embryos. It suggested that there have been three significant characteristics regarding Japan’s regulations and public debate on the topic: the basic principles approach (applying the ethical principles to the various types of research), a government-led policy-making instead of democratic legislation, and the apparent absence of religious perspectives in the debate.

Megumi Kimura and Jusaku Minari
Science Technology and Society in ‘Creative Britain’: Collaborations between Biomedical Research and Creative Industries
Japan Society for Research Policy and Innovation Management. October 28, 2017.
This conference paper drew a picture of policies and actions of public engagement in the United Kingdom, focusing on collaborative works between Biomedical Research and Creative Industries, suggesting historical changes of relationships between knowledge and economy, and academy and society. 

3. Organizing (selected)

Workshop on the Governance of Emerging BioDesign Technologies
This workshop aimed to exchange perspectives and develop our knowledge about the current status and the possible developments of emerging biotechnologies, including genome editing, synthetic biology and gene drives in the US and Japan.
Venue and Date: The University of Tokyo, January 19, 2018.
US guest presenters:
Kenneth Oye (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
‘Governing Risks Associated with Next Generation Biological Engineering Applications’
Megan Palmer (Stanford University)
‘Evolving Cultures of Responsibility in Biotechnology Research’
Samuel W. Evans (Harvard University)
‘Reshaping the Assumptions upon Which We Govern Biology’

Session launch at ‘Japan Association for Bioethics’
Organizer: Nariyoshi Shinomiya
Topic of 2017 (December 17):
Public Ethics and New Governance on Genome Editing
Presenters: Nariyoshi Shinomiya, Jusaku Minari, Atsushi Fujiki (National Institute of Technology, Kurume College), Makiko Matsuo (The University of Tokyo), Go Yoshizawa and Satoshi Kodama.
Topic of 2018 (December 8):
The Emergence of Genome Synthesising Technologies: Advancement of Synthetic Biology and its Ethical, Legal and Social Implications
Presenters: Nariyoshi Shinomiya, Michihiro Araki (Kyoto University), Momoko Suda (Mainichi Shimbun), Jusaku Minari and Satoshi Kodama.