Daphne O. Martschenko

Dr. Daphne Oluwaseun Martschenko is an Assistant Professor at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. Her scholarship identifies novel ways to examine and enhance the ethical and socially responsible conduct, translation, and interpretation of human genetic research. Dr. Martschenko has appeared in the New York Times and on numerous podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, and her work is published in publicly accessible media outlets such as Scientific American and The Conversation. In 2023, she was named one of 10 Scientists to Watch by ScienceNews. 

Martschenko received a 2025 IAJS Faculty Grant to examine how terms like race, ethnicity, and ancestry are used in genomic research today, particularly from perspectives historically excluded from global conversations. Given genetics' troubling history—having been misused to justify slavery, restrict immigration, and enforce sterilization—Martschenko is working directly with genome scientists and research participants in African countries to understand how these population descriptors are interpreted and what ethical concerns they raise. Through interviews and surveys with major African-led genomics initiatives, this study aims to inform more culturally relevant and ethically grounded research practices.