Anne-Sophie Giraud

Anne-Sophie Giraud is a Research Fellow at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), working within the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Solidarity, Societies, Territories (LISST) at the University of Toulouse - Jean Jaurès. She specializes in social anthropology with a focus on procreation, the body, and personhood, particularly examining assisted reproductive technologies in the French context.

Her research centers on the anthropology of procreation, investigating how embryos and fetuses acquire social status through relational processes. Dr. Giraud has conducted extensive research on preimplantation diagnosis (PGD) and prenatal diagnosis in France, exploring how these technologies intersect with ethical frameworks, family dynamics, and medical practices. Her work reveals how antenatal entities transition from 'anatomical specimens' to 'almost children' through visual representations, mourning practices, and clinical interventions.

Dr. Giraud's recent publications show a strong focus on knowledge production and ignorance around embryos, particularly how genetic information is managed within families. Her work demonstrates how cutting-edge genomic technologies are adapted to practical clinical constraints ('driving a Ferrari on a county road'), creating institutionalized pathways to parenthood that operate under 'exception regimes.'

• ANR project grant (ANR-22-CE41-0001) for NORPRO project (2023-2026)
• Author of 'L'être anténatal : Dynamiques parentales, médicales et juridiques' (2024)
• Extensive publication record in medical anthropology and social sciences

As coordinator of the NORPRO project, Dr. Giraud leads research examining how various stakeholders negotiate ethical and practical dilemmas surrounding technical interventions in procreation. Her collaborative approach involves researchers across disciplines, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary perspectives on reproductive technologies. Dr. Giraud maintains an active research blog (encore.hypotheses.org) where she shares ongoing findings from her fieldwork on genetic information within families.