Laura Stark

Laura Stark is an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University and serves as Associate Editor for History & Theory and Advisory Editor for Isis. Her scholarship examines the intersections of science, ethics, and statecraft through historical and sociological lenses.

Research Focus: Stark investigates how scientific practices and moral frameworks co-evolve in global contexts. Her work spans topics like the history of human subjects research, legal systems governing science, and cultural interpretations of scientific concepts.

Notable Publications

• Behind Closed Doors: IRBs and the Making of Ethical Research (2012) analyzes the development of institutional review boards in shaping ethical research standards.

Current Project: Islam through American Eyes: The Life and Culture of Clifford Geertz explores global scientific networks and the historical construction of the anthropological concept of culture as a 'web of meaning'.