NYU will host “The Politics of Science and Health,” a roundtable discussion featuring speakers from the fields of medicine, journalism, and anthropology, on Friday, October 14, 2-4 p.m. at its Department of Social and Cultural Analysis.

NYU to Host Roundtable Discussion, “The Politics of Science and Health”—Oct. 14

Panelists include: Jonathan M. Metzl, director, Center in Medicine, Health, and Society, Vanderbilt University; Ivan Oransky, executive editor, Reuters Health; Perri Klass, director, NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and a professor of pediatrics at NYU Langone Medical Center; Eric Klinenberg, NYU professor of sociology; Esther Kaplan, editor, the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute; Dan Fagin, director, Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at NYU; and Thuy Linh Tu, NYU associate professor of Social and Cultural Analysis.

Attacks on science and health have become core vernaculars of the American political landscape. Presidential contenders regard global warming as a hoax. Members of Congress decry “junk” research as they cut funding for the NIH and NSF. Citizens stand at town hall meetings to reject health care coverage. Activists spread fear and skepticism about vaccines. And television pundits tell us that rising carbon dioxide levels are nothing to fear because CO2 is a “byproduct of nature.”

Are these new attacks on scientific and medical knowledge, or does present-day discourse repeat age-old stigmatizations and fears? What role will science play in the coming election? What should the media do to combat misinformation about scientific research? Should academics become more involved in public debates? Journalists meet academics in this roundtable that discusses these and other questions in order to better understand the politicization of science and health.

Reporters interested in attending NYU-hosted events must RSVP to James Devitt, NYU’s Office of Public Affairs, at 212.998.6808 or james.devitt@nyu.edu.

The event is co-hosted by the NYU Department of Social and Cultural analysis and the Vanderbilt Center for Medicine, Health, and Society as a part of a new collaborative venture between the two units.

Press Contact

James Devitt
James Devitt
(212) 998-6808