Supported by:
Research Summary
Professor Parthasarathy’s research program focuses on two themes:
how we can develop and govern technological innovation to better achieve societal benefit.
the politics of knowledge and expertise in policymaking, and particularly how defining public problems as “technical” can exclude serious ethical, equity, social, environmental and other considerations.
She has studied a range of topics including AI, genetics and biotechnology, patents, and inclusive innovation (also known as “tech for good” in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and India. More information about her current projects are below; you can also check out a full list of publications on her CV.
Professor Parthasarathy has received fellowships and grants from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition, and Tax Law (Germany), the American Bar Foundation, the Wellcome Trust (UK), the National Science Foundation, Sloan Foundation, the Public Interest Technology University Network, Economic Security Project, and various programs at the University of Michigan.
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Equity in Innovation Policy
Over the last five years, Parthasarathy has been working on a range of projects aiming to reimagine innovation systems, including innovation policies, to better serve the public interest, including social equity and justice goals.
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The Politics of Inclusive Innovation
Since the 1990s, policymakers, tech companies, international donors, and even scholars have been trying leverage technological innovation and the marketplace to alleviate inequality around the world. Parthasarathy is studying the development, implementation, and impacts of this approach in India, a country well known for its heterodox approach to technology.
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Technology Assessment Project
The TAP develops a novel methodology to use the history of technology to anticipate the implications of emerging technologies, from generative AI to advanced nuclear reactors.
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Patent Politics
This project analyzed how political culture, ideology, and values, have shaped the modern patent systems of the United States and Europe. It also investigates how patent systems might better serve the public interest, including fostering public trust.
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Building Genetic Medicine
This project examined the development and governance of genetic testing for breast cancer in the United States and Britain. It demonstrates how different approaches to health care and the commercialization of science have had profound impacts not only on genetic medicine, but on the rights and responsibilities of doctors and patients.
For prospective PhD students:
You can work with me in one of two ways:
The Ford School of Public Policy has a joint PhD Program with the departments of Sociology, Political Science, and Economics. If you are admitted to one of those programs, I would be happy to chat with you about how we might work together. Please know, however, that potential faculty advisors have no influence over the admissions process: PhD student funding comes from the university, not from individual faculty.
I serve as co-chair or committee member for PhD students across campus and around the world, including UM’s Department of Sociology, School for Environment and Sustainability, and the School of Information. If you are a current PhD student and think that my expertise might be helpful to you, take a look at my publications and feel free to contact me. However, I am unlikely to sit on committees simply to provide disciplinary diversity (i.e., be a cognate member).