Skip to main content
Andrew Smart – Bath Spa University

Personal statement

Andrew is a Reader in Sociology at Bath Spa University. He has examined various social issues relating to biomedical science, including the use of race and ethnicity in genetic research, the governance of biobanks, patient experiences of genetic testing and media coverage of human genetics.

His current work further explores the intersection between ethnicity and biomedical science, looking at examples such as racialised prescribing, the health implications of genetic ancestry testing and the representation of minority ethnic groups in biomedical research.

Andrew is a member of Bath Spa's Peer Review Panel and the School of Science's Ethics Panel. He is module co-ordinator for Social Science Research Methods, Ethnicity and Society and Sociology / Criminology Dissertation. He is the Level 6 Year Tutor for Sociology.

See also: Andrew's Academia profile. 

Academic qualifications

  • PhD University of Plymouth
  • Post-graduate diploma in Social Research University of Plymouth
  • BA (Hons) University of Plymouth.

Professional memberships

  • European Association for the Study of Science and Technology.

Other external roles

  • Peer reviewer for journals including: Social Science and Medicine; Sociology of Health and Illness; Science as Culture; Science, Technology and Human Values; Journal of Medical Ethics; Biosocieties; New Genetics and Society
  • Peer reviewer for funding applications and end of project evaluations (for ESRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust and WWTF).

Teaching specialism

  • Ethnicity and Racism
  • Genetics and Society
  • Social Research Methods.

Current scholarship

Grants awarded:

  • Racialized medicine: the use of racial/ethnic categories in prescribing guidance. With Kate Weiner. Funded by The Wellcome Trust (Small Grants in Humanities and Social Science)
  • Human Genomic Diversity in Biomedicine: Social, Ethical and Policy Implications of Categorisation. With Nicholas Rose and Paul Martin. Funded by The Wellcome Trust (Dissemination Award in Biomedical Ethics)
  • The Use of Race/ Ethnicity in Applied Population Genetics Research: Implications for Scientific Practice, Public Health and Access to Health Care. With Paul Martin, Richard Ashcroft, George Ellison and Richard Tutton. Funded by The Wellcome Trust (Research Project Grant in Biomedical Ethics)
  • Governing Genetic Databases. With Mike Parker and Jane Kaye. Funded by The Wellcome Trust (Research Project Grant in Biomedical Ethics).

Previous projects:

  • The Clinical and Commercial Development of Pharmacogenetics: Issues for professional, patients and policy-makers. With Paul Martin and Alison Pilnick (IGBiS and Dept. of Sociology, University of Nottingham), Andrew Webster and Graham Lewis (SATSU, University of York). Funded by The Wellcome Trust (Research Project Grant in Biomedical Ethics)
  • Media coverage of ethical and social implications of human genetic research. With Jenny Kitzinger, Lesley Henderson and John Eldridge. Funded by The Wellcome Trust (Research Project Grant in Biomedical Ethics).

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Governing biobanks: understanding the interplay between law and practice
book

Smart, A, Kaye, J, Gibbons, S, Heeney, C and Parker, M (2012) Governing biobanks: understanding the interplay between law and practice. Hart, Oxford. ISBN 9781841139050


‘Race’ as a social construction in genetics
book_section

Smart, A, Tutton, R, Martin, P and Ellison, G (2012) '‘Race’ as a social construction in genetics.' In: Schramm, K, Skinner, D and Rottenburg, R, eds. Identity politics and the new genetics: re/creating categories of difference and belonging. Studies of the Biosocial Society (6). Berghahn, New York. ISBN 9780857452535


From self-identity to genotype: the past, present and future of ethnic categories in post-genomic science
book_section

Smart, A (2010) 'From self-identity to genotype: the past, present and future of ethnic categories in post-genomic science.' In: Whitmarsh, I and Jones, D, eds. What’s the use of race? Modern governance and the biology of difference. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. ISBN 9780262514248


Potential social, ethical, and legal issues raised by the development of pharmacogenetics
book_section

Smart, A, Martin, P and Dingwall, R (2006) 'Potential social, ethical, and legal issues raised by the development of pharmacogenetics.' In: Hall, I, Pirmohamed, M and Tucker, G, eds. Pharmacogenetics. Taylor & Francis, New York, pp. 51-65. ISBN 9780824728847


Ethico-racial positioning in campaigns for COVID-19 research and vaccination featuring public figures
article

Smart, A, Williams, R, Weiner, K, Cheng, L and Sobande, F (2024) 'Ethico-racial positioning in campaigns for COVID-19 research and vaccination featuring public figures.' Sociology of Health and Illness. ISSN 0141-9889


Protecting UK healthcare workers from patient racism
article

Smart, A (2021) 'Protecting UK healthcare workers from patient racism.' Sociology of Health & Illness, 43 (8). pp. 1826-1830. ISSN 1467-9566


Racialised prescribing: enacting race/ethnicity in clinical practice guidelines and in accounts of clinical practice
article

Smart, A and Weiner, K (2018) 'Racialised prescribing: enacting race/ethnicity in clinical practice guidelines and in accounts of clinical practice.' Sociology of Health and Illness, 40 (5). pp. 843-858. ISSN 0141-9889


The ambiguities of "race" in UK science, social policy and political discourse
article

Ellison, G.T.H, Aspinall, P.J, Smart, A and Salway, S (2017) 'The ambiguities of "race" in UK science, social policy and political discourse.' Journal of Anthropological Sciences = Rivista di antropologia : JASS, 95. pp. 299-306. ISSN 2037-0644


Health and genetic ancestry testing: time to bridge the gap
article

Smart, A, Bolnick, D.A and Tutton, R (2017) 'Health and genetic ancestry testing: time to bridge the gap.' BMC Medical Genomics, 10 (3). ISSN 1755-8794


The under-representation of minority ethnic groups in UK medical research
article

Smart, A and Harrison, E (2017) 'The under-representation of minority ethnic groups in UK medical research.' Ethnicity & Health, 22 (1). pp. 65-82. ISSN 1465-3419


Constructions of collective Muslim identity by advocates of Muslim schools in Britain
article

Smart, A and Tinker, C (2012) 'Constructions of collective Muslim identity by advocates of Muslim schools in Britain.' Ethnic and Racial Studies, 35 (4). pp. 643-663. ISSN 0141-9870


Impediments to DNA testing and cascade screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and long QT syndrome: a qualitative study of patient experiences
article

Smart, A (2010) 'Impediments to DNA testing and cascade screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and long QT syndrome: a qualitative study of patient experiences.' Journal of Genetic Counseling, 19 (6). pp. 630-639. ISSN 1059-7700


Genotyping the future: scientists' expectations about race/ ethnicity after BiDil
article

Smart, A, Tutton, R, Martin, P, Ashcroft, R and Ellison, G (2008) 'Genotyping the future: scientists' expectations about race/ ethnicity after BiDil.' Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 36 (3). pp. 464-470. ISSN 1748-720X


An interdisciplinary perspective on the impact of genomics on the meaning of 'race', and the future role of racial categories in biomedical research
article

Smart, A, Ellison, G, Tutton, R, Outram, S and Martin, P (2008) 'An interdisciplinary perspective on the impact of genomics on the meaning of 'race', and the future role of racial categories in biomedical research.' NTM. Journal of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, 16 (3). pp. 378-386. ISSN 0036-6978


Social inclusivity vs analytical acuity? A qualitative study of UK researchers regarding the inclusion of minority ethnic groups in biobanks
article

Smart, A, Tutton, R, Ashcroft, R, Martin, P, Balmer, A, Elliot, R and Ellison, G (2008) 'Social inclusivity vs analytical acuity? A qualitative study of UK researchers regarding the inclusion of minority ethnic groups in biobanks.' Medical Law International, 9 (2). pp. 169-190. ISSN 0968-5332


The standardization of race and ethnicity in biomedical science editorials and UK biobanks
article

Smart, A, Tutton, R, Martin, P, Ellison, G and Ashcroft, R (2008) 'The standardization of race and ethnicity in biomedical science editorials and UK biobanks.' Social Studies of Science, 38 (3). pp. 407-423. ISSN 0306-3127


Racial categories in medicine: a failure of evidence-based practice?
article

Smart, A, Ellison, G, Tutton, R, Outram, S, Ashcroft, R and Martin, P (2007) 'Racial categories in medicine: a failure of evidence-based practice?' PLoS Medicine, 4 (9). pp. 1434-1436. ISSN 1549-1277


Governing genetic databases: challenges facing research regulation and practice
article

Smart, A, Gibbons, S, Kaye, J, Heeney, C and Parker, M (2007) 'Governing genetic databases: challenges facing research regulation and practice.' Journal of Law and Society, 34 (2). pp. 163-189. ISSN 0263-323X


A Multi-dimensional Model of Clinical Utility.
article

Smart, A (2006) 'A Multi-dimensional Model of Clinical Utility.' International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 18 (5). pp. 377-382. ISSN 14643677


The promise of pharmacogenetics: assessing the prospects for disease and patient stratification
article

Smart, A and Martin, P (2006) 'The promise of pharmacogenetics: assessing the prospects for disease and patient stratification.' Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 37 (3). pp. 583-601. ISSN 13698486


Can science alone improve the measurement and communication of race and ethnicity in genetic research? Exploring the strategies proposed by nature genetics
article

Smart, A, Tutton, R, Ashcroft, R, Martin, P and Ellison, G (2006) 'Can science alone improve the measurement and communication of race and ethnicity in genetic research? Exploring the strategies proposed by nature genetics.' BioSocieties, 1 (3). pp. 313-324. ISSN 1745-8552


Practical concerns that arise from using race/ethnicity as ‘the most reliable proxy available’
article

Smart, A (2005) 'Practical concerns that arise from using race/ethnicity as ‘the most reliable proxy available’.' Critical Public Health, 15 (1). pp. 75-76. ISSN 0958-1596


Tailored medicine: whom will it fit? The ethics of patient and disease stratification.
article

Smart, A, Martin, P and Parker, M (2004) 'Tailored medicine: whom will it fit? The ethics of patient and disease stratification.' Bioethics, 18 (4). pp. 322-343. ISSN 14678519


Integrating pharmacogenetics into society: in search of a model
article

Smart, A, Webster, A, Martin, P and Lewis, G (2004) 'Integrating pharmacogenetics into society: in search of a model.' Nature Reviews Genetics, 5 (9). pp. 663-669. ISSN 1471-0056


Adrift in the mainstream: challenges facing the UK vegetarian movement
article

Smart, A (2004) 'Adrift in the mainstream: challenges facing the UK vegetarian movement.' British Food Journal, 106 (2). pp. 79-92. ISSN 0007-070X


Maximise the return on ethics consultations by minimising deficit thinking
article

Smart, A and Jones, K. E (2004) 'Maximise the return on ethics consultations by minimising deficit thinking.' European Biopharmaceutical Review, Summer. ISSN 1369-0663


Reporting the dawn of the post-genomic era: who wants to live forever?
article

Smart, A (2003) 'Reporting the dawn of the post-genomic era: who wants to live forever?' Sociology of Health and Illness, 25 (1). pp. 24-49. ISSN 14679566


Colour-coded prescribing
conference_item

Smart, A (2017) Colour-coded prescribing. In: Race, Ethnicity and Medicine - Dr. Andy Smart, Dr Jon Røyne Kyllingstad and Dr Øivind Michelsen, 7 November 2017, Norsk Teknisk Museum, Oslo, Norway.


Exploring the effectiveness of a creative writing intervention to promote refugees’ integration and wellbeing
conference_item

Vitale, A, Filer, N, Ryde, J and Smart, A (2017) Exploring the effectiveness of a creative writing intervention to promote refugees’ integration and wellbeing. In: VI International Congress on Migration and Mental Health, 12 October 2017, Rathaus Pankow, Berlin, Germany.


Embedding racialised differences into prescribing: the case of UK hypertension guidelines
conference_item

Smart, A and Weiner, K (2015) Embedding racialised differences into prescribing: the case of UK hypertension guidelines. In: ESA 2015 - 12th Conference of the European Sociological Association: Differences, Inequalities and Sociological Imagination, 25-28 August 2015, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic.


Is ethnicity relevant for understanding public attitudes to science?
conference_item

Smart, A (2014) Is ethnicity relevant for understanding public attitudes to science? In: Situating Solidarities: Social Challenges for Science and Technology Studies, 17 - 19 September 2014, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland.


Engaging patients from minority ethnic groups with clinical trials for blood cancer
commissioned_report

Smart, A (2021) Engaging patients from minority ethnic groups with clinical trials for blood cancer. Blood Cancer UK.


The social and ethical implications of categorising populations in human genomics: an international symposium report
commissioned_report

Smart, A, Hinterberger, A, Efstathiou, S and Rose, N (2009) The social and ethical implications of categorising populations in human genomics: an international symposium report.


Reviving "racial medicine"?: the use of race/ethnicity in genetics and biomedical research, and the implications for science and healthcare
commissioned_report

Smart, A, Martin, P, Ashcroft, R, Ellison, G and Tutton, R (2007) Reviving "racial medicine"?: the use of race/ethnicity in genetics and biomedical research, and the implications for science and healthcare. St. George's Hospital, Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences, London. ISBN 9780954989071


False positive? The commercial and clinical development of pharmacogenetics
commissioned_report

Smart, A, Martin, P, Lewis, G and Webster, A (2006) False positive? The commercial and clinical development of pharmacogenetics.


Edit profile | Website feedback to web@bathspa.ac.uk