Siqi Zhao

• Bioethics & Emerging Technologies: Ethical governance of stem cells, organoids, chimeras, and reproductive rights.
• History of Science & Medicine: History of scientific thought since the 17th century and medical history in East Asia.
• Sociology & Policy Analysis: Interdisciplinary governance, public ethics, and non-institutionalized scientific communication.

My academic foundation is deeply rooted in the history and philosophy of science. My fascination with scientific thought began during my undergraduate years, immersed in classical texts from Plato’s Dialogues to Descartes’ universal doubt and Hobbes’ Leviathan. A pivotal turning point occurred when I encountered Alexandre Koyré’s From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe. Koyré’s narrative, describing the historical shift from an organic, unified cosmos to a cold, mechanical, and quantitative universe, profoundly transformed my understanding of modern science. This realization inspired me to further explore how historical misconceptions persist in modern thought, drawing on the works of Steven Shapin, Bruno Latour, and Max Weber’s concerns regarding hyper-specialization in academia.

The 2020 pandemic prompted me to deeply reflect on the role of scientific and professional knowledge during global crises. Following my participation in an international training on the Ethics and Governance of Infectious Disease Outbreaks, I turned my analytical lens to key historical developments in medicine and biology. My historical research projects include:

• Early 20th-Century Anti-Plague Campaigns in China: Examining public health responses, state capacity, and epidemic control.
• Penicillin in China (1900–1950): Analyzing penicillin as both a medical breakthrough and a cultural commodity.
• History of Chinese Forensic Medicine: Investigating the legal and social status of Ming and Qing dynasty midwives acting as official judicial agents, and their impact on women's social standing.