Professor Alan Petersen

Professor Alan Petersen is a distinguished health sociologist and the Discipline Convener in the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University. He specialises in the sociology of public health, health promotion and illness.

Professor Petersen’s current line of enquiry is focused on the public’s participation in the area of nanotechnology. Do they fully understand the benefits and risks of nanotechnology?  What are the wider social implications?

Public perception of nanotechnologies is poor, but Professor Petersen sees the potential for it to grow. New technologies must be developed in conjunction with public understanding for them to be accepted, and used for their intended purpose. Professor Petersen is keen to examine the risks, values, assumptions and implications associated with these new technologies.

“My aim is to develop a more sophisticated model of science communication, which includes acknowledgement of how scientists' efforts to communicate information about nanotechnologies may shape publics' responses to innovations.”

He also intends to challenge what he calls the ‘deficit model of the public understanding of science.’ The idea of an ignorant public being fed specific scientific sound-bites should be made redundant. Professor Petersen’s research will focus on achieving clearer communication between scientists and policy makers, and the public at large, on nanotechnology issues. This will lead to more informed decisions about the benefits and risks of adopting specific nanotechnologies, and their subsequent regulation.

Professor Petersen will build upon initial research projects undertaken in the UK during the last six years. With the Economic and Social Research Council, he explored the issues of nanotechnologies and news production. At the British Academy he investigated the views of the scientific world in relation to the risks and benefits associated with nanotechnologies in health, medicine and environmental sustainability.

His collaborative work with Dr Alison Anderson at the University of Plymouth and with Professor Stuart Allan at the University of Bournemouth has given Professor Petersen international exposure. Here at Monash, in conjunction with Professor Graeme Hodge and Dr Diana Bowman from the School of Law, he is exploring the perceptions of scientists and policy makers regarding nanotechnologies. What are the benefits and risks of nanotechnologies when applied in the areas of health and medicine, and environmentally sustainability?

In addition, Professor Petersen is investigating the social implications of new genetics and how they impact on preventive medicine and public health. Most recently he was engaged in examining the issues of governance and politics in relation to biobanks.

For more information regarding Prof Petersen and his research please visit the following sites:

 'Nanotechnology and News Production: Scientists’, Journalists’ and Editors’ Views ' 
This site provides information regarding a project investigating the production and coverage of news on nanotechnology, specifically in the area of medicine.

NanoVisions: Science, Policy and Public Representations of the Benefits, Risks and Governance of Nanotechnologies

Selected Publications

Petersen A., Anderson A., Wilkinson, C. and Allan S. (in press) 'Opening the black box: Scientists’ views on the role of the news media in the nanotechnology debate'Public Understanding of Science (Accepted 17 July 2007)

Petersen A. & Anderson A. (2007) ‘A question of balance or blind faith?: scientists’ and science policymakers’ representations of the benefits and risks of nanotechnologies’NanoEthics1, 243-256.

Wilkinson C., Anderson A., Allan S. & Petersen A. (2007) 'From uncertainty to risk?: scientific and news media portrayals of nanoparticle safety'Health, Risk and Society 9(2) 145-157.

Anderson A., Allan S., Petersen A. & Wilkinson, C. (2005) 'The framing of nanotechnologies in the British newspaper press' Science Communication 27(2) 200-220.