Genetics in Film and TV, 1912–2020
Peer-reviewed and published by the Journal of Literature and Science.

This study offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of how genetics has been portrayed in film and television from 1912 to 2020. Drawing on a dataset of 238 films and 539 television episodes, the project traces how depictions of genetics shifted with historical events, media forms, and genre conventions. Results show that genetics is most often framed as risky (especially in science fiction and horror), while medical dramas and crime shows present more mixed or beneficial portrayals.

As an undergraduate researcher at GetPreCiSe, I designed the codebook and coded hundreds of films and television episodes. This was the culminating project of my time at GetPreCiSe, where I honed expertise in film/TV analysis and solidified my interest in how motion pictures shape public emotions, anxieties, and debates around genetics and science more broadly.