Elise Burton

Elise Burton is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. Her research focuses on the history of life sciences in the modern Middle East, particularly genetics, evolutionary biology, and medicine. She examines how these sciences intersect with racial, ethnic, and national identities, challenging Eurocentric narratives in the history of science. Her first book, Genetic Crossroads, explores Middle Eastern contributions to human genetics, revealing how Western and regional scientists shaped nationalist narratives through genetic data.

Her current project, Race Across Asia, investigates trans-Asian scientific exchanges between Japan, India, Iran, and Turkey since the 1950s, focusing on race, nationalism, and fields like medical genetics. Awards include the 2021 Nikki Keddie Award (Middle East Studies Association) and the 2021 Price/Webster Prize (History of Science Society).

Burton’s work spans historical archives across multiple languages and regions, emphasizing interdisciplinary and transnational approaches. She has published widely in journals like Isis, Social Studies of Science, and Journal of the History of Biology, addressing themes such as sickle cell disease, genome projects, and Cold War scientific collaborations.