Criticism arises over genetic study involving 140,000 Danes at Aarhus University

Criticism arose after it was revealed that researchers at Aarhus University used genetic data from 140,000 Danes to explore whether being a non-voter is hereditary. The genetic data was obtained from heel prick tests performed on newborns, which are stored for research purposes. Legal experts assessed that this study on voter participation fell outside the approval granted for the broader psychiatric research project, iPsych.

However, the authority overseeing iPsych, a scientific ethics committee in Central Jutland, has confirmed that it was permissible to investigate the correlation between genetics, voter participation, and psychiatric diagnoses. The committee stated that the project regarding genetics and voter participation aligns with the approved protocol.

The committee, however, criticized the researchers for failing to create an ethical advisory group, which they had promised to establish. The lack of this group raised concerns about whether the project was approved on accurate grounds, as the group was intended to provide an ethical framework for handling sensitive genetic data.

This project was first approved 12 years ago, allowing researchers to extract genetic data from heel prick tests without prior consent from those tested. Current ethical standards would not permit such practices. The genetic study is continuing into its twelfth year, with voter participation being one of many subprojects.

Despite the committee’s findings, experts have expressed that the 140,000 Danes included in the research lack adequate protection, maintaining that data has been utilized without proper consent. They worry that this could indirectly stigmatize certain demographics as poor democratic citizens due to non-participation in elections. The committee has acknowledged its support for the project’s value in enhancing understanding of psychiatric disorders while the research director expressed his commitment to addressing the committee’s feedback.