New Staff Q&A - Daria (Dasha) Franklin

Welcome to the Division of Ethics, Daria Franklin. Who are you?

I serve as a Project Coordinator on the Future of Bioethics team. I hold a PhD in Sociology from Columbia University, and my scholarly work centers on how human interactions shape and transform institutions of higher education. 

What are you most excited about in joining the Division of Ethics?

I'm most excited to work within the field that deals with complex interdisciplinary questions. Given the fast pace of technological change and the lag of appropriate legal frameworks, I see Bioethics being an essential component of biomedical and healthcare advancement. I feel that this is one of the fields that has the potential to meaningfully shape who we are as a society.

What led you to this position, what was your academic/career trajectory?

In my research and teaching assistantship positions I always dealt with the questions of organization of science, scientific expertise and authority, and the Division of Ethics is the place where engagement with these questions is continuous. On the more day-to-day side of things, I greatly enjoy administrative and organizational types of tasks, so coordinating projects is something that comes to me naturally.

What is one bioethical issue or topic that interests you?

I am particularly interested in how the intersection of ethics and biotechnology will reshape care practices and social norms around disability and aging.

Outside of work, what are you passionate about?

Knitting is what I do when I am not working, and about half of my wardrobe is now handmade. I also love travelling with my family (particularly to the Nordics). And I am a big fan of Nordic Noir and British panel shows.