Racializing Health: Politics of Well-being in Human Microbiome Research

Abigail Nieves Delgado (Utrecht University)

Population descriptors like race, ethnicity, nation, or genetic ancestry are used in biomedicine to name different populations under study, to ensure diversity in databases and, potentially, to promote an equal distribution of the benefits arising from research. In this presentation, I introduce some of the main problems that the use of these descriptors has in microbiome research. I argue that economic and technological inequities, as well as the lasting effects of colonialism, shape the epistemic and ethical questions investigated in this field. I end by introducing some of the methodologies we are implementing to start a reflective interdisciplinary dialogue and promote the development and use of alternative labels.

• When: March 13 2026, 14h-16h.
• Where: Salle Ladrière, Place du Cardinal Mercier 14 (bâtiment Socrate, a.124), LLN.
• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@CEFISES.