Background and Career of Professor Alondra Nelson

Professor Alondra Nelson's career at the intersection of technology and policy is marked by her sociological approach to science and tech, particularly regarding human genetics. Her early research on direct-to-consumer genetics intertwined with the advancements prompted by the Human Genome Project, revealing how data gathering has evolved alongside computing power. This trajectory led her to work in the Obama administration on the Precision Medicine Initiative, where she recognized the algorithmic implications of genetic data research. This foundation laid the groundwork for her later focus on AI policy, where she emphasizes understanding the societal impacts of data usage.