Senior Lecturer
Coordinator, German Language Program
Phone: (07) 3138 4380 Gardens Point; (07) 3138 4655 Carseldine
Fax: (07) 3138 4012
Email: a.gesche@qut.edu.au
Location: Room Z1141 GP Campus
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy, ANU
Bachelor of Science (Hons 1/Immunology & Microbiology) Adel.
Bachelor of Arts (Hons 1/ German Language and Literature), Adel.
Master of Education (Online Teaching and Learning), USQ
Postgraduate Diploma of Education (German & English as a Second Language), UNE
Diploma of Medical Technology, Ludwigshf
NAATI 3 Accredited Translator (German>English; English>German ? all areas)
Career Summary
Astrid has a science, humanities and education background. She has published nationally and internationally on intercultural and ethical issues related to emerging technologies and their applications. Her current research interests include establishing appropriate ethical frameworks for emerging technologies; integrating social and ethical dimensions into discourse on scientific development and risk; and building cross-cultural and intercultural communicative environments with particular emphasis on Web-based communication, for which she has received several awards. Astrid has provided input to the Australian Legislative Review Committee and the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council on human cloning, and to the Australian Biotechnology Advisory Council on gene technology regulation. She has also provided advice on global ethical issues related to food security, genetically modified foods and human health at the World Health Organization in Geneva.
Teaching Areas
- Gene technology and ethics
- Technology, ethics and the environment
- German language and culture
Research Interests
- Nanotechnology (as applied to food production and processing; medicine)
- Investigating ethical and social issues arising in areas of emerging technologies (nanotechnology, biotechnology, biometrics); establishing ethical frameworks for their governance
- Privacy (in particular databases, surveillance)
- Intercultural and transcultural communication, especially online communication
- History of Ideas (Intellectual History)
Supervision
Embryo Selection: Can It Be Morally Justified? (PhD, Associate Supervisor)
Enhancing Ethical Practice in Prenatal Screening: Facilitating Women's Ethical Choices (PhD, Principal Supervisor 2008)
Ethical Practice in Prenatal Screening ? Can Informed Consent Deliver? (Honours, Associate Supervisor 2004)
Genetic Registers: The Ethical Use of a Gift (Honours, Associate Supervisor 2004)
Recent Publications
'Nanotechnologie und Lebensmittelproduktion' (translated: Nanotechnology and Food Production). In: A. Gazso, Gresler S. and Schiemer F. 2007. Nano- Chancen und Risiken aktueller Technologien. Springer Verlag (with A. Haslberger and J. Schuster) (2007).
'Genetic Testing and Human Genetic Databases', In M. Betta (ed.). 2006. The Social and Commercial Imperatives of Genetic Screening and Testing ? The Australian Case.
'Protecting the Vulnerable: Genetic Testing in the Context of Parentage Testing, Immigration and Indigenous Peoples', In M. Betta (ed.). 2006. The Social and Commercial Imperatives of Genetic Screening and Testing ? The Australian Case.
Towards a Global Code of Ethics for Modern Foods and Agricultural Biotechnology . EURSAFE 2004. 5th Congress of the European Society for Agricultural and Foods Ethics (2004). (with A. Haslberger and R.E.M. Entsua-Mensah).